The exact composition of earwax varies from person to person and ranges in color from golden-yellow to tan to dark brown or even black. Scientists have not yet discovered exactly what pigment is responsible for giving earwax its color. What scientists do know is that there are essentially two types of cerumen—dry and wet—and which type a person has is genetically determined. Scientists believe that the type of earwax is coded for by a single gene. The trait for the dry type is recessive while the trait for the wet type is dominant. Dry earwax is more common in individuals of Asian and Native American descent whereas wet earwax is more common in African Americans and Caucasians. Wet cerumen can be further classified as soft (moist and sticky) or hard (dry and desiccated). Soft cerumen is more common in children and hard cerumen is more common in adults.