• Question: what is a mole

    Asked by jamesbond007 to Daphne, Darren, Jon, Katherine on 21 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Katherine Haxton

      Katherine Haxton answered on 21 Mar 2012:

      Either a small furry creature who lives underground and digs up people’s lawns, or a unit of quantity in chemistry a bit like a dozen. A mole in chemistry is 6.022 x 10 to the power of 23 atoms or molecules. That’s quite a lot.

    • Photo: Daphne Ng

      Daphne Ng answered on 22 Mar 2012:

      A mole could also refer to a skin lesion which may be darkly coloured. The dark colour is because there is a high concentration of skin cells known as melanocytes which produce the dark pigment, melanin. Some of us are born with moles while other moles are acquired as we get older. There are many different kinds of moles, depending on their shape and colour. You can read more about them here http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/moles-freckles-skin-tags

      Most moles are non cancerous. However, some moles can become cancerous. Hence, it is important to see a doctor if you notice changes in the appearance of existing moles.

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