Skin protection and care
Why is the skin so important for our health?
The skin as a border organ
The skin protects the organism from the penetration of pathogens and various foreign substances in the broadest sense. From radiation damage, but also from the loss of fluids, electrolytes and proteins. It is colonized by bacteria and fungi as well as small insects, the so-called resident skin flora.
Skin substance is lost superficially through exfoliation/scaling, mechanical wear and tear and chemical corrosion - for example through strong alkalis - and is regenerated by regrowth at the lower border of the epidermis. If the epidermis is largely worn away, the nerve cells in the skin become extremely sensitive. With constant moderate stress, the callus is strengthened by local callus formation. If the skin is injured locally, the body tries to seal the wound with fibrin. Crusts on the skin dry up and tighten, causing the edges of the wound to contract.
Mass transfer
Gases can involve the absorption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide (skin respiration), but also nitrogen and inert gases. Water can be absorbed or released for water regulation and serve as a transport medium for dissolved gaseous or solid substances. Dissolved substances can be salts (uptake or release), nutrients (many endoparasites feed exclusively in this way), excretion products, but also toxic substances from the environment (as in the case of organic lead compounds).
Protection from UV radiation
The skin as a contact and sensory organ
The skin also fulfills communicative tasks.
The skin as a stem cell reservoir
The skin contains adult stem cells that can be transformed into pluripotent stem cells by four additional genes introduced by retroviruses. This means that the skin could serve as a source for regenerative medicine therapies.