Skin
Your skin has many functions
including protecting you from the
outside world. Did you know that lots
of your body is made up of water?
Your skin stops you from drying out!
Your skin provides a shield against
the hot, burning rays of the sun and
also helps to keep germs and dirt out.
Your skin has lots of nerve endings
that provide our sense of touch.
These nerve endings tell us if
something is rough, smooth, hot
or cold and whether we are in
pain. These nerve endings send
messages to the brain to give us this
information.
Skin also helps us to regulate our
temperature. When we are too hot it
sweats to help us cool off, and it can
also widen the skin's blood vessels
to get more blood near the skin
where it can cool off – this is why
we go red when we are hot! When
we are cold it can narrow the blood
vessels to help us warm up.
Your skin is made up of two layers –
so let's get under your skin and find
out about them!
The Epidermis
The epidermis is the tough, outer layer of
your skin and its main function is protection.
Did you know that what you can see of your
skin is actually dead skin cells? Because
these cells are dead, they easily rub off and
new cells come to the surface, harden and
take their place. Inside the epidermis are
growing cells, and when the cells are ready
they start moving towards the top of the
epidermis. This takes between two weeks and
a month. As new cells move up, older cells
near the top die and rise to the surface of
your skin. Around 30,000-40,00 dead skin
cells are lost from our body every minute!
8
FUSE
Your skin cells contain Keratin which makes
your skin waterproof and tough. (Your hair
and nails are made of Keratin too!)
Melanin is also produced in your epidermis,
which darkens your skin and helps to protect
you from strong sunlight. The darker your
skin, the more melanin
you have – this is why
people with fairer skin
tend to burn more
easily in the sun.