Anatomy of the skin

What is skin?

The skin is the largest organ of the body, which is made of water, protein, fat and minerals. Your skin protects your body from germs and regulates your body temperature. Nerves in the skin help you feel sensations such as heat and cold.

anatomy

What are the layers of the skin?

It forms three layers of skin tissue:

Epidermis, the top layer.

Dermis, middle layer.

Hypoderm, lower layer or fat.

What does the epidermis do?

Your epidermis is the top layer of skin that you can see and touch. Keratin, a protein inside skin cells, makes skin cells and binds together with other proteins to form this layer.

Epidermis:

Acts as a protective barrier: the epidermis prevents bacteria and germs from entering the body and bloodstream and causing infection. It also protects against rain, sun and other elements.

Creation of new skin: The epidermis continuously creates new skin cells.

These new cells replace about 40,000 old skin cells that your body sheds every day. You have new skin every 30 days.

Protects your body: Langerhans cells in the epidermis are part of the body’s immune system. They help fight germs and infections.

Provides skin color: The epidermis contains melanin, the pigment that gives the skin its color. The amount of melanin determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes.

People who produce more melanin have darker skin and may tan sooner.

What does the dermis (middle layer of the skin) do?

The dermis makes up 90% of the thickness of the skin. This middle layer of the skin:

Contains collagen and elastin: Collagen is a protein that makes skin cells strong and flexible. Another protein found in the dermis is elastin, which keeps the skin flexible. It also helps the stretched skin regain its shape.

Hair growth: the roots of the hair follicles attach to the dermis.

Keeps you in touch: Nerves in the dermis tell you when something is too hot, itchy, or too soft to touch. These nerve receptors also help you feel pain.

Sebum generation: Sebaceous glands in the dermis help to keep the skin soft and smooth.

Sweat production: sweat glands in the dermis release sweat through skin pores. Sweat helps regulate your body temperature.

Provides blood: blood vessels in the dermis provide nutrients to the epidermis and keep the layers of the skin healthy.

What does the hypodermis do?

The bottom layer of the skin or hypodermis is the fat layer.

Hypoderm:

Protects muscles and bones: The fat in the hypodermis protects muscles and bones from injury during a fall or accident.

With connective tissue: this tissue connects the layers of the skin to the muscles and bones.

Helps nerves and blood vessels: Nerves and blood vessels in the dermis (middle layer) become larger in the hypodermis. These nerves and blood vessels branch off to connect the hypodermis to the rest of the body.

Regulates body temperature: The fat in the hypodermis prevents you from getting too cold or too hot.

What else makes up skin?

One inch of your skin has approximately 19 million skin cells and 60,000 melanocytes (cells that make melanin, or skin pigment). It also contains 1000 nerve endings and 20 blood vessels.