inspect (Éªnspekt ) Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense inspects , present participle inspecting , past tense , past participle inspected. 1. verb. If you inspect something, you look at every part of it carefully in order to find out about it or check that it is all right. Elaine went outside to inspect the playing field. Cut the fruit in half and inspect the pips: if they are turning slightly brown it is ready for harvesting.
Pigmentation is the coloring of a person's skin. When a person is healthy, his or her skin will appear normal in color. In the case of illness or injury, the person's skin may change color, becoming darker (hyperpigmentation) or lighter (hypopigmentation). This results in a complete lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, or eyes. 2  Albinos have an abnormal gene that restricts the body from producing melanin. 3  There is no cure for albinism. 4  People with albinism should use a sunscreen at all times because they are much more likely to get sun damage and skin cancer.
Pigments are chemical compounds which reflect only certain wavelengths of visible light. This makes them appear colorful. Flowers, corals, and even animal skin contain pigments which give them their colors. More important than their reflection of light is the ability of pigments to absorb certain wavelengths. Because they interact with light to absorb only certain wavelengths, pigments are useful to plants and other autotrophs --organisms which make their own food using photosynthesis. In plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, pigments are the means by which the energy of sunlight is captured for photosynthesis. However, since each pigment reacts with only a narrow range of the spectrum, there is usually a need to produce several kinds of pigments, each of a different color, to capture more of the sun's energy.