Human Skin : Structure and Functions
Skin Is The Largest Organ in Our Body
Some people thought that heart, stomach, lung or brain is the largest organ in our body. But it’s not true. The largest organ in our body is skin. Much of information that we receive about our environment comes through the skin. So, we can say that skin is also the largest sense organ.
Skin Structure
Skin is made up of three layers of tissue, that is :
1. The Epidermis
2. The Dermis
3. A Fatty layer
Each layer of skin is made of different cell types.
The Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer, thinnest layer of our skin. The epidermis’s outermost cells are dead and water repellent. Thousand of epidermal cells rub off every time we take a shower, shake hand, blow nose or scratch our elbow.
New cells are produce constantly at the base of the epidermis. These new cells move up and eventually replace those that are rubbed of.
Cells in the epidermis produce the chemical melanin. Melanin is the pigment that protect our skin and give it color. The different amount melanin that produce by cells result in differences in skin color.
When our skin is exposed to the ultra violet rays that comes together with sunrays, melanin productions increases and our skin become darker. Lighter skin tones have less protection from the sun. It makes skin burns easily and may more susceptible to the skin cancer.
The Dermis
The dermis is the layer of cells directly below the epidermis. This layer thicker than epidermis and contain many blood vessels, nerves, muscles, oil and sweat glands, and aother structure.
The Fatty Layer
A Fatty layer is located directly below the dermis layer. This is where much of the fat is deposited when a person gains weight.
Skin Functions
The most important functions of the skin is protection. The skin form a protective covering over the body that prevents physical and chemical injury. Bacteria and and other disease – causing organisms cannot pass through the skin as long as its unbroken.
Glands in the skin secrete fluids that can damage or destroy some bacteria.
The skin is also slows down water loss from body tissues.
Nerve cells in the skin detect and relay information to the brain. Making a skin as a sensory organ. Because of this cells, we are able to sense the softness of the cat or sense the hardness of the rock.
Skin is also a place for vitamin D formations. Small amount of these vitamin are produce in the presence of ultraviolet light from a fatlike molecule in skin epidermis. Vitamin D is essential for good health because it helps our body to absorb calcium into our blood from food in the digestive tract.
Skin is also place for heat and wasted exchange. Humans can withstand a limited range of body temperatures. Our skin plays an important role in regulating our bidy temperature.
Blood vessels in the skin can help release or hold heat If the blood vessels expand or dilate, blood flow increases and head is released. In contrast, less heat is released when the blood vessels constrict.
The adult human dermis has about 3 million sweat glands. These glands help regulate the body’s temperature and excrete waste. When the blood vessels dilate, pores open in the skin that lead to the sweat glands.
Perspiration, or sweat, move out onto the skin. Heat transfers from the body to the sweat on the skin. Eventually, this sweat evaporates, removing the heat and cooling the skin.
This system eliminates excess head produce by muscle contractions.
As our cells use nutrients for energy, they produce waste. Such waste, if not remove from our body, can act as poisons. In addition to helping regulate our body’s temperature, sweat glands release water, salt and other waste products.
If too much water and salts are released by sweating during periods of extreme heat or physical exertion, we might feel light-headed or event faint.
Some people thought that heart, stomach, lung or brain is the largest organ in our body. But it’s not true. The largest organ in our body is skin. Much of information that we receive about our environment comes through the skin. So, we can say that skin is also the largest sense organ.
Skin Structure
Skin is made up of three layers of tissue, that is :
1. The Epidermis
2. The Dermis
3. A Fatty layer
Each layer of skin is made of different cell types.
The Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer, thinnest layer of our skin. The epidermis’s outermost cells are dead and water repellent. Thousand of epidermal cells rub off every time we take a shower, shake hand, blow nose or scratch our elbow.
New cells are produce constantly at the base of the epidermis. These new cells move up and eventually replace those that are rubbed of.
Cells in the epidermis produce the chemical melanin. Melanin is the pigment that protect our skin and give it color. The different amount melanin that produce by cells result in differences in skin color.
When our skin is exposed to the ultra violet rays that comes together with sunrays, melanin productions increases and our skin become darker. Lighter skin tones have less protection from the sun. It makes skin burns easily and may more susceptible to the skin cancer.
The Dermis
The dermis is the layer of cells directly below the epidermis. This layer thicker than epidermis and contain many blood vessels, nerves, muscles, oil and sweat glands, and aother structure.
The Fatty Layer
A Fatty layer is located directly below the dermis layer. This is where much of the fat is deposited when a person gains weight.
Skin Functions
The most important functions of the skin is protection. The skin form a protective covering over the body that prevents physical and chemical injury. Bacteria and and other disease – causing organisms cannot pass through the skin as long as its unbroken.
Glands in the skin secrete fluids that can damage or destroy some bacteria.
The skin is also slows down water loss from body tissues.
Nerve cells in the skin detect and relay information to the brain. Making a skin as a sensory organ. Because of this cells, we are able to sense the softness of the cat or sense the hardness of the rock.
Skin is also a place for vitamin D formations. Small amount of these vitamin are produce in the presence of ultraviolet light from a fatlike molecule in skin epidermis. Vitamin D is essential for good health because it helps our body to absorb calcium into our blood from food in the digestive tract.
Skin is also place for heat and wasted exchange. Humans can withstand a limited range of body temperatures. Our skin plays an important role in regulating our bidy temperature.
Blood vessels in the skin can help release or hold heat If the blood vessels expand or dilate, blood flow increases and head is released. In contrast, less heat is released when the blood vessels constrict.
The adult human dermis has about 3 million sweat glands. These glands help regulate the body’s temperature and excrete waste. When the blood vessels dilate, pores open in the skin that lead to the sweat glands.
Perspiration, or sweat, move out onto the skin. Heat transfers from the body to the sweat on the skin. Eventually, this sweat evaporates, removing the heat and cooling the skin.
This system eliminates excess head produce by muscle contractions.
As our cells use nutrients for energy, they produce waste. Such waste, if not remove from our body, can act as poisons. In addition to helping regulate our body’s temperature, sweat glands release water, salt and other waste products.
If too much water and salts are released by sweating during periods of extreme heat or physical exertion, we might feel light-headed or event faint.
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