Meaning & use
melan/o
Last updated
Meaning
prefixmedicaltechnical
A combining form used in medical words to mean black or dark, especially relating to melanin or dark pigment.
Grammar: Attaches to a root to form a noun or adjective, as in melanocyte or melanosis.
Patterns
- melan/o + noun
- melan/o + -osis
- melan/o + -cyte
The dermatologist explained that a melanocyte is a cell that produces dark pigment.
Melanosis refers to an abnormal buildup of dark pigment in the tissues.
Common combinations
- melanocyte
- A melanocyte is found in the skin and produces melanin.
- melanoma
- Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that starts in pigment cells.
- melanin
- Melanin gives color to skin, hair, and eyes.
- melanosis
- The doctor noted melanosis, a darkening of the tissue.
Word family
- melanin noun
- The dark pigment produced by melanocytes.
- melanocyte noun
- A cell that makes melanin.
- melanoma noun
- A tumor of melanin-producing cells, often malignant.
Commonly confused: melan/o or melano-?
melan/o vs melano-
Melano- is a variant spelling of melan/o used before some consonants; both mean black or dark.
Practice
Which word uses the combining form melan/o to mean 'black cell'?
Choose one answer.
Melanocyte combines melan/o (black) with -cyte (cell). Melanin is the pigment itself, melanoma is a tumor, and melanosis is a condition of darkening.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “melan/o”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.