Which term refers to the color component within the skin such as blood or melanin?

• A. Pigment
• B. Hue
• C. Chromophore
• D. Melanocyte

Answer: (C)

Color in the skin comes from chromophores—the color-bearing parts of molecules. In pigments like melanin, the chromophore is the portion that determines the resulting color, and in blood, the chromophore in hemoglobin creates the reddish tones depending on oxygenation. Pigment refers to the substance itself, hue is the perceived color, and melanocyte is the cell that produces pigment. Since the question asks for the component that actually carries color within substances like melanin and blood, chromophore is the best fit.