The Science of Blood ColorationRoughly 25 trillion red blood cells course through your veins, each one packed with the same pigment. So what pigment makes blood red? It is heme, an iron-containing molecule nestled inside each hemoglobin protein. When iron binds...
The Chemistry Behind Iron-Based ColorantsUnderstanding Oxidation States and Their Role in Shade FormationThe difference between yellow ochre and red iron oxide is one electron. That electron's presence or absence is the oxidation state, the core of every pigment with...
Understanding Melanin and Its Role in NatureTypes of Melanin in Living OrganismsThe pigment melanin is nature's most versatile coloring agent, appearing in everything from fungal spores to the feathers of birds of paradise. This complex polymer does more than create...