Skin essay (Essay 1 revision)

Krista Carter

Professor Kerr

EN101-5

September 29, 2010

Skin

            Skin is one of the most amazing, if not the most amazing organ in the human body (Brain). The skin is the largest organ that is part of the human body, as it covers the entire outside of the body and weighs about six pounds (Dermatology).The main function of the skin is protection. As thin as the skin seems, it’s made up of two separate layers. The epidermis is the outside layer that can be physically seen, where the dermis is the inside layer (Brain). The make-up of the skin, including the dermis and epidermis, provides protection for the body, both internally and externally.

            The epidermis is the thin outside layer of the skin which can be visibly seen (Dermatology). It serves as a barrier and for the most part, is made up of flat, scale-like squamous cells, which are also called keratinocytes (Brain, Definition of Epidermis). The epidermis is separated into three layers: the stratum corneum, the keratinocytes, and the basal layer (Dermatology).The stratum corneum layer of the skin contains dead keratinocytes (Dermatology). Keratinocytes develop at the bottom of the epidermis and rise to the surface of the stratum corneum layer where they shed as dead skin cells (Different Parts of the Skin). Under the stratum corneum layer, there is a layer of living keratinocytes (Dermatology). The third layer of the epidermis is the basal layer which “is the inner layer of the epidermis, containing basal cells. Basal cells continually divide, forming new keratinocytes and replacing the old ones that are shed from the skin's surface” (Dermatology).

            The dermis is the inner layer of the skin which contains blood and lymph vessels, hair follicles, and glands (Definition of Epidermis). The dermis is directly under the epidermis, but is about four times thicker than the epidermis (Skin Structure). The glands present in the dermis produce sweat, which help to regulate body temperature (Skin Structure). Along with blood vessels, hair follicles, and glands, the dermis also contains sense organs for touch, pressure, pain, and temperature (Different Parts of the Skin). The contents of the dermis “not only provide energy and nutrition to the epidermis, but also to play a primordial role in thermoregulation and in healing” (The Dermis). The dermis is basically the tissue that supports the skin (The Dermis).

            The main function of skin is protection, whether it’s internal or external protection of the body. Skin serves as a cushion to other vital, internal organs and protects them from things like harmful punctures and extreme temperatures (Peel). The skin also protects the internal organs from different types foreign bodies that cause infection. These types of foreign bodies include bacteria, harmful ultraviolet lights, and harmful toxins (Peel). Skin plays an important role in externally eliminating the waste products of the body (Peel). The elimination of waste products is possible because of the body’s ability to produce sweat glands which are secreted through pores at the surface of the skin (Peel). The sweat glands carry harmful toxins and other excretory waste with them through skin pores (Peel). Without skin to protect the body, people would not be able to live because their internal organs would be easily infected and there would be no way to eliminate harmful toxins from the body.

            Skin is made up of specific cells and tissues which collaborate together to form a boundary between a person’s internal structure and the outside world (Brain). The skin plays an extremely important role in the human body, as it would be nearly impossible for a person to live without any skin because they would have no protection from outside infection. The structure of the epidermis and the dermis layers help to provide both internal and external protection of the body.