Mcr 1 Gene Red Hair

Almost everyone with red hair has two.

Mcr 1 gene red hair. A minority of redheads are however only heterozygote. Research shows red hair usually results from a mutation in a gene called MC1R which codes for the melanocortin-1 receptor. However they typically have red hair instead of the usual yellow blond or light brown hair seen with this condition.

This is called a recessive trait. Like most of the rest of our genes we have two copies of our MC1R gene. Features cover everything from contemporary art fashion editorials interviews with musicians and designers to stories about everyday life as a redhead current events or a full new networking culture.

The MC1R receptor is variously known as the melanocortin 1 receptor the melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor or the melanotropin receptor. The gene for red hair is recessive so a person needs two copies of that gene for it to show up or be expressed. The phenotype of nearly all red haired individuals can be traced to distinct mutations of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene MC1R3-5.

While reading about the MCR1 gene that is responsible for red hair I came across this great article describing other aspects of our physiology that are unique due to MCR1 mutations. MC1R the ginger gene is a high quality print magazine. The human MC1R is expressed on the surface of melanocytes and is a key regulator of intracellular signaling to the melanin biosynthetic pathway governing pigment formation.

It was originally thought that red hair was caused by a single gene called MC1R often referred to as the ginger gene. MC1R is the gene encoding the receptor for melanocyte stimulating hormone MSH one of two pigmentation related hormones encoded by the POMC gene. The pigment found in redhair that makes it red is called pheomelanin.

According to the largest ever study on hair genetics at least 8 genes are involved in determining whether or not someone has red hair. We got one copy from our mom and one from our dad. Hair color is primarily genetic and red hair is caused by mutations in the MC1R gene.