Skin
hideThe skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of mesodermal tissues, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Skin of a different nature exists in amphibians, reptiles, birds. Human skin is not unlike that of most other mammals except that it is not protected by a pelt and appears hairless though in fact nearly all human skin is covered with hair follicles. The adjective cutaneous literally means "of the skin" (from Latin cutis, skin).
Because it interfaces with the environment, skin plays a key role in protecting (the body) against pathogens and excessive water loss. Its other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, synthesis of vitamin D, and the protection of vitamin B folates. Severely damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discolored and depigmented.
In humans, skin pigmentation varies among populations, and skin type can range from dry to oily. Such skin variety provides a rich and diverse habit for bacteria which number roughly a 1000 species from 19 phyla.
For more information about Skin, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with skin
Marketing a 'spoonful of sugar'
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Dec 15, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
0
Your kids won't wear their seatbelts, take their vitamins or brush their teeth? A new study by Tel Aviv University offers a simple formula that will get better compliance in the kid department -- and has implications for ...
New ethical questions are being raised in stem cell research
Dec 10, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A groundbreaking discovery two years ago that turned ordinary skin cells back into an embryonic or "pluripotent" state was hailed as the solution to the controversial ethical question that has plagued stem-cell science for ...
Search results for skin
Breathlessness eased in patients with rare, often fatal disease
9 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Patients with a rare, deadly disease that mostly affects young women felt a dramatic reduction in breathlessness using an approved drug, according to study results published online today in The Journal of Heart and Lung Tr ...
Scientists crack gene code of common cancers
11 hours ago |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
1
Two common forms of cancer have been genetically mapped for the first time, British scientists announced, in a major breakthrough in understanding the diseases.
Leprosy susceptibility genes reported
Dec 16, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
In the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of leprosy and the largest GWAS on an infectious disease, scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and 26 institutes in China identified seven genes that increase ...
Small Fingers More Touch Sensitive
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
0
When it comes to finger sensitivity, bigger isn't always better.
Lung cancer and melanoma laid bare: First comprehensive analysis of two cancer genomes
Dec 16, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
Research teams led by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute announce the first comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes. All cancers are caused by mutations in the DNA of cancer cells which are acquired during a person's lifetime. ...
Argonne scientists use bacteria to power simple machines (w/ Video)
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, Evanston, have discovered that common bacteria can turn microgears when suspended in ...
DNA of Jesus-era shrouded man in Jerusalem reveals earliest case of leprosy
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Dec 16, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (13) |
4
The DNA of a 1st century shrouded man found in a tomb on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem has revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy. Details of the research will be published December 16 in the ...
Miracle light: Can lasers solve the energy crisis?
Dec 15, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (12) |
3
Next year will mark the 50th birthday of the laser, one of the most productive and widely used mega-inventions of the last century. Scientists hope that 2010 also will see the launch of laser technology's greatest challenge: ...
Cold war - Fighting the threat of latent TB (w/ Podcast)
Dec 15, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists are making breakthroughs in studying the latent form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This work could revolutionise the treatment of TB.
MESSENGER team releases first global map of mercury
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Dec 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's MESSENGER mission team and cartographic experts from the U. S. Geological Survey have created a critical tool for planning the first orbital observations of the planet Mercury - a global ...
List of search results for skin
