Defect seen in Vitiligo is: September 2010: (A) Absent melanosomes, (B) Absent melanocytes, (C) Reduction in melanin synthesis, (D) Reduction in number of melanocytes
Answer is B. Ans. B: Absent melanocytes Vitiligo is a chronic disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.