Polarized Light Microscopy Digital Image Gallery

Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA)

PABA occurs naturally in such items as mushrooms, bran, wheat germ, eggs, liver, molasses, brewer’s yeast, and yogurt. Yet, the substance is also marketed as a health supplement despite the fact that most scientists do not believe it is an essential part of the human diet. Many health food stores and other distributors of PABA claim that it is an effective treatment for vitiligo, which is a condition that is associated with the discoloration of the skin, and also link the chemical with hair growth and a reversal of the graying of hair. Others claim that PABA can improve the protein used in the body and may be helpful in connective tissue disorders. Nevertheless, little, if any, scientific evidence supports such assertions.


© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Thursday, Nov 20, 2003 at 02:51 PM
Access Count Since November 20, 2003: 7789
Microscopes provided by:
Visit the Nikon website. Visit the Olympus Microscopy Resource Center website.