What is the structure of melanocytes?

Melanocytes are oval, highly differentiated cells which are dark in nature and dendritic in shape. There are typically between 1000 and 2000 melanocytes per square millimeter of skin. They make up 5-10% of cells in the basal layer of epidermis. Melanocytes are typically 7 micrometers in length, although their size may vary. Within the cell body, melanocytes contain a structure called the melanosome where melanin is synthesized and stored. Dendrites upwards into the epidermis until they come into contact with about 30-40 keratinocytes and attach to the basement membrane. This formation is known as the epidermal melanin unit. In the hair bulb, melanocytes exist at the base pair of the growing shaft hair and extend dendrites into keratinocytes as they enter the shaft. This formation is known as the follicular melanin unit. Melanin produced by the melanocyte is of two types: dark brown eumelanin and pale red or yellow pheomelanin.