first it is Melanin.
And second to answer to your question, I think it simply acts as any pigment. Black paint would work the same, but is not produced by the skin 😉

melonin is an alkaloid produced by a type of watermelon(no, I’m not joking… it actually exists 😆 )

It’s opaque to light.

yes, it should be melanin, not melonin. melanin is a pigment produced by a group of cells known as melanocytes. melanin protect us against harmful uv rays by absorbing them. the more uv rays we r exposed to, the more it has to absorb and the darker our skin will be.

however, don’t be assured that u r safe from uv radiation, bcoz too much of it will cause the cancer of melanocytes, which is known as melanoma…….. sth like this….. i forgot…. lol