What are small granules filled with melanin, produced by melanocytes, called?

The small granules filled with melanin that are produced by melanocytes are known as melanosomes. Melanosomes are cellular organelles where the synthesis and storage of melanin occur. When melanocytes produce melanin, they secrete it into the surrounding keratinocytes via melanosomes. This process is essential for skin pigmentation and protecting the skin from UV radiation, as melanin absorbs and dissipates UV light.

Melanocytes are the cells responsible for the production of melanosomes, but they are not the granules themselves; they are the producers of melanin. Keratinocytes, on the other hand, are the primary cells found in the outer layer of the skin that contain the melanin produced by the melanocytes within their melanosomes. Chromatophores are pigment-containing cells primarily found in other organisms, such as fish and amphibians, and are not specifically related to human pigmentation processes.