Health

How to check your home for bedbugs

Nothing can spoil a vacation's sweet afterglow more than discovering that some unwelcome hitchhikers have accompanied you home.

Oncology & Cancer

Military service can bring melanoma danger

U.S. military veterans, especially those who served in the Air Force, are at high risk for one of the deadliest skin cancers, melanoma.

Obstetrics & gynaecology

Research sheds light on new strategy to treat infertility

New research from Oregon Health & Science University describes the science behind a promising technique to treat infertility by turning a skin cell into an egg that is capable of producing viable embryos.

Health

Tattoo regret? How to choose a removal service

About one in four people regret at least one of their tattoos. Almost half of those go on to have their unwanted tattoo removed or camouflaged with a new one.

Health

Skin of color underrepresented in AI programs in dermatology

Challenges relating to artificial intelligence (AI) in dermatology and its application to skin of color (SOC) are partly due to underrepresentation of SOC in datasets, according to research published online March 6 in the ...

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Skin

The 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.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA