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pudzey101
ANSWERS: 2
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We get tan because the UV rays stimulate the cells in our skin that produce melanin, which is what gives our skin the color and protects us from UV rays. The more sun reaching these cells, the more melanin is produced and the tanner we get. The palms of our hands don't need as much protection from the sun, as they are usually hidden pressed against something else anyway, and thus, they have less of these cells. Not only that, but the thick layers of dead skin that give our hands grip are a barrier to the epidermal layer of skin where melanin is produced.
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There is no or very little melanin in the palms - thus "colored" people (brown, red, yellow, black) have paler or "white" palms. Melanin is the pigment ingredient in skin which reacts to sunburn causing a tan. Yes, even if you have only been in the sun for ten minutes which leads to tanning you have been sun burned - the darkening of the skin is a reaction to damage caused by UV light.
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