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Abstract：
Eumelanin, a macromolecule widespread in all the living world and long appreciated for its protective action against harmful UV radiation, is considered the beneficial component of the melanin family (ευ means good in ancient Greek). This initially limited picture has been rather recently extended and now includes a variety of key functions performed by eumelanin in order to support life also under extreme conditions. A lot of still unexplained aspects characterize this molecule that, in an evolutionary context, survived natural selection. This paper aims to emphasize the unique characteristics and the consequent unusual behaviors of a molecule that still holds the main chemical/physical features detected in fossils dating to the late Carboniferous. In this context, attention is drawn to the duality of roles played by eumelanin, which occasionally reverses its functional processes, switching from an anti-oxidant to a pro-oxidant behavior and implementing therefore harmful effects.
摘要：
Eumelanin,一种广泛存在于所有生活世界中的大分子，长期以来因其对有害紫外线辐射的保护作用而受到赞赏，被认为是黑色素家族的有益组成部分（εu在古希腊中的意思是好的）。这个最初有限的图片最近得到了扩展，现在包括eumelanin执行的各种关键功能，以便在极端条件下也支持生命。许多仍无法解释的方面表征了这种分子，在进化的背景下，幸存下来的自然选择。本文旨在强调分子的独特特征和随之而来的异常行为，该分子仍然具有石炭纪晚期化石中检测到的主要化学/物理特征。在这种情况下，注意到欧美拉宁所扮演的角色的双重性，偶尔会逆转其功能过程，从抗氧化剂转变为促氧化剂行为，并因此实施有害影响。
