Pigments allow coloring varnishes, paints and other products.
The etymological origin of the word pigment is found in Latin. Specifically, it comes from the term "pigmentum", which can be translated as "substance that gives color" and is composed of two clearly delimited parts:
-The verb «pingere», which is synonymous with «paint».
-The suffix «-ment», which is equivalent to «result».
What is a pigment
Pigment is the substance used to color a paint , a varnish , an enamel , etc. Its action occurs by modifying the color of the reflected luminosity, since it partially absorbs said tone and radiates another.
Thanks to pigments, it is possible to give a certain color to food, clothing and cosmetic products, for example. Generally, powder pigments are used, which are added to some colorless or very faint material. There are pigments that act as permanent colorants and others that, over time , stop coloring the substance in question.
Although they are often used synonymously, it is possible to establish differences between pigments and dyes . While these are liquids and allow a solution to be obtained, pigments are usually solids that create a suspension.
The substances that give tone to cells and define the color of the skin, eyes and hair are called pigments.
Different origins
It should be noted that the pigments that arise from the action of nature , such as iron oxide , were already used by prehistoric man. Over time, humanity began to develop pigments through industrial mechanisms.
Very important are the so-called vegetable pigments . These are the set of substances that exist in plants and that give shape to complex structures. Specifically, among the best known are chlorophyll , anthocyanins , flavonoids and carotene .
However, perhaps the best known is chlorophyll, which becomes a fundamental piece of so-called photosynthesis. And it is responsible for absorbing daylight to establish and fix carbon dioxide in the air.
Pigments according to biology
If we focus on the field of biology , the substance that provides color to cells is known as pigment. These pigments, which can dissolve or act as granules, define the tone of hair, eyes and skin, among other parts of the body. Among the most important biological pigments are melanin and the aforementioned chlorophyll (which gives plants the characteristic green color).
Likewise, within the scope of biology, there is also what is known as respiratory pigment . This term defines the protein, of the conjugated type, that is dedicated to transporting oxygen in the fluids that exist in the body such as, for example, blood. As a general rule, all animals have that. However, there are some that do not have it, as would be the case of certain fish that live in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and that have the peculiarity of having completely transparent blood.