Skin is natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch. Skin is considered as the largest organ of your body. The scientific medical definition is it an organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs.

Some common functions of skin are as

(1) Protection from

• mechanical impact (i.e. pressure, stroke)

• heat, cold

• chemical impact (i.e. acids)

• microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi)

• UV-radiation

(2) It gathers sensory information from the environment such as pain ,touch ,cold heat etc plays an active role in the immune system protecting us from disease.

(3) The skin also has a very important function of regulating body temeprature.

Layers of skin

There are two layers of skin called Epidermis and Dermis. Epidermis is the outer layer of the skin, which is exposed to the environment. It contains 5 layers. From bottom to top the layers are named as

• stratum basale
• stratum spinosum
• stratum granulosum
• stratum licidum
• stratum corneum

Dermis is the inner layer of the skin which is vascular in nature. It has two layers They are named as papillary Layer reticular layers

Epidermis Protects from the harmful UV rays of sunlight. A part of rays is reflected the by stratium corneum in the skin surface and a part of rays is absorbed by the melanin pigment. Throughout our lives our body naturally losses water by the expiration through skin.

Preventing infection- The oily layer of the skin is the first barrier against invasion by micro organisms. The strantium corneum provides the next level of defense. The WBC Cells which are present in the skin capture and destroy bacteria which are invading the epidermis; as a result the pus is formed.

Dermis

• Gives mechanical support to the body from bumps and knocks
• Removes the metabolized wastes from the epidermis and carries out through blood stream
• It contributes skin color
• Regulates the body temperature through sweating
• Acts as a protective barrier that interfaces with the environment.
• It is also helps in maintaining the body temperature.
• It gathers sensory information from the environment and plays an active role in the immune system protecting us from disease.