Give me some skin! Some interesting facts about our largest organ will follow. The purpose of our skin is to protect our bones, muscles, and internal organs from trauma and exposure to the elements. We regenerate our skin every 28 days. Our skin measures 21 square feet or 2 square meters in area and is around 9 pounds in weight.
The skin is comprised of three layers: the outer epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is the outer layer which is quite thick over the palms and soles of the feet. This layer contains the melanin which gives the skin its color. The dermis contains nerve endings for pain and touch sensation, hair follicles, sweat and oil glands. There are blood vessels measuring 11 miles within this vital organ.
The skin begins to form at 4 or 5 weeks gestation. It is transparent initially, allowing for inspection of the bones and internal organs. Finger prints are present at 3 months gestation. Floating in the umbilical sac, filled with fluid causes my skin to wrinkle. The skin allows us to experience sensory input from the outside world, and it protects us from chemical, physical and microbiological invaders into our personal space. Skin is waterproof, and regulates our temperature, fluid and electrolyte balance.
Skin acts as a bio-factory for the synthesis and metabolism of a large range of structural proteins, glycans, lipids, and signaling molecules. The skin is an integral part of the immune, nervous and endocrine systems. My Aunt Becky suffers from a rare, serious neuro-endocrine cancer of the skin - Merkel Cell. I encourage my friends and family to protect the sensitive skin from the harmful effects of the sun. I wish my father would listen!
Floating in the amniotic sac, filled with fluid that causes my skin to wrinkle is a lot of fun. I so look forward to my ‘Birthday’, so I can touch my mummy’s skin while she holds and nurses me. It will be fun touching and pulling my niece’s curly hair, and feeling my Grandad’s mustache and bushy eyebrows. It will be fun squishing my mashed potatoes on their journey to my mouth. Look out world - give me a ‘high-five’!
My sources include: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov., www.mayoclinic.org.
With love,
Rose M. Bryo
Old, Tired Skin. Photograph of my father's forearm by
Rose M. Bryo
Happy Skin - Young and smooth