Simplify Skin!

let's start off with a very simple question... what even is skin? Well, to start, the skin is the largest organ. It is part of a system, known as the integumentary system which also consists of other things such as nails, sweat and oil glands, and lastly, hair. You see, the skin is extremely important in lots of ways:

1. Skin protects our body, allowing it to fight off germs and foreign substances.

2. Skin also helps regulate body temperature, a huge factor in maintaining homeostasis.

3. It produces vitamin D which helps our bones stay strong

4. Skin itself contains nerves, which helps us have a sense of touch

That was just to name a few, there are just so many reasons! When one looks at the skin, the might see a protective covering but ask yourselves... What is skin even made of? What layers are found under the one we can see? These are questions crucial to understanding the skin.

Epidermis

The epidermis of the skin is the outermost layer, in other words, the part you can technically see. It is composed of 5 layers; stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum and, stratum corneum. Keratinocytes, produce keratin which is one of the main elements in the epidermis. As for the size of the epidermis, well it depends. The size of the epidermis on your legs will differ from the one on on your ears, or your eyelids.

Dermis

The dermis lays below the epidermis and is made of two different layers; the reticular dermis and the papillary dermis. It is made of collagen and elastin. As for its function, well it allows for many things such as proudcing sweat and hair, supporting the epidermis and allowing us humans to feel sensations. As for size, it depends... but... it is much thicker overall compared to the epidermis.

Hypodermis

Here we are... The last layer we will be talking about! The hypodermis is the layer of skin that is foud under the dermis. Its crucial role is to connect muscles and bones to the dermis. How important! It is made of fatty tissue as well as blood vessels which transport oxygen everywhere in trhe body. Its size depends... again... well, you get the point... thinnest in the eyelids and thicker where there is more skin like the abdomen.

There is so much more to the skin. Stay tunned till next time! Hopefully you learned something!