Certain genes can be switched off to prevent melanocytes from maturing.

某些基因可以被关闭以防止黑素细胞成熟。

First, they thought it could be the immune system attacking the melanocyte stem cell population.

他们一开始认为可能是免疫系统攻击黑色素细胞干细胞群。

The melanocytes make the pigment, which is then packed into small packets of pigment called melanosomes.

黑素细胞制造色素，然后将其包装成称为黑素体的小包色素。

Melanocytes associated with the hair root will deposit melanin to the cells that compose our hair.

与发根相关的黑色素细胞会将黑色素沉积到构成我们头发的细胞中。

The chemical then flowed through the stem cells up into the hair follicles -- where melanocytes are kept.

然后，这种化学物质会流过干细胞，流至头发的皮囊--生黑色素细胞就得以保留。

If that damage is severe enough, the cells mutations can lead to melanoma, a deadly cancer that forms in the skin's melanocytes.

当DNA受到严重破坏时，会使细胞突变导致黑色素瘤，一种由黑色素细胞形成的致命癌症。

The research focused on cells in the skin of mice and also found in humans called melanocyte stem cells, or McSCs.

这项研究重点关注小鼠皮肤中的细胞，也在人类中发现了称为黑色素干细胞（McSC）的细胞。

How long your melanocytes last—and therefore when you “go gray”—is mostly determined by your genetics.

你的黑素细胞能持续多久——以及你何时“变白” ——主要取决于你的基因。

Each hair gets its color from melanin, a pigment made by specialized cells called melanocytes in hair follicles.

每根头发的颜色都来自黑色素， 黑色素是一种由毛囊中称为黑素细胞的特殊细胞制成的色素。

And it doesn’t affect melanocytes, so for young people, the hair that falls out grows back its normal color.

而且它不会影响黑色素细胞， 因此对于年轻人来说， 掉落的头发会重新长出正常的颜色。