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Tyrian purple is a purple-red natural dye that was highly prized in the ancient world because it did not fade from weathering and sunlight but instead became brighter and more intense. Excreted by the hypobranchial gland of certain mollusks of the genus Murex, Tyrian purple was expensive and a status symbol tightly controlled by sumptuary laws. In Byzantium, it was restricted to coloring silks for imperial use. How is the dye substance used by the sea snails that secrete it? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary