The difference between pigment and pigmentation is that pigment is the substance that imparts color, while pigmentation is the process or result of coloring.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
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Pigment:
- A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.
- Examples: Melanin (skin, hair, eyes), chlorophyll (plants), iron oxide (rust).
- Pigments can be natural or synthetic.
- Think of pigment as the paint itself.
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Pigmentation:
- Pigmentation is the coloring of a tissue, organ, or area. It's the process by which a material becomes colored or the state of being colored.
- Examples: Skin pigmentation (the color of your skin), hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin), hypopigmentation (lightening of skin).
- Pigmentation refers to the distribution and amount of pigment in a particular location.
- Think of pigmentation as the act of painting or the finished painting.
In essence, pigment is the color, and pigmentation is the result of the application or presence of that color. Pigmentation is the observable characteristic, influenced by the type and quantity of pigment present.
