What is Skin? | National Geographic
National Geographic
5 min, 40 sec
The video describes the complexity and functions of human skin, highlighting its role as the largest organ, its renewability, and its importance in regulating body temperature.
Summary
- Skin acts as armor, a regulator of temperature, and a sensor for pain and pleasure.
- The outermost layer is composed of dead cells, which we shed at a rate of 600,000 particles per hour.
- Skin's surface hosts a vast array of bacteria and is constantly renewed every month.
- Beneath the surface, cells divide continuously, and blood vessels and nerves connect to tissues.
- Skin functions as a heat regulator through blood vessels and sweat glands, and displays goosebumps as a reaction to cold.
Chapter 1
The introduction provides a poetic description of skin as a protective barrier and sensory interface.
- Skin is described as a velvety overcoat, an armor, and the body's largest organ.
- It is presented as both a barrier and a point of interaction for sensations of pain and pleasure.
Chapter 2
A detailed exploration of the skin's surface under magnification reveals its complex texture and microorganisms.
- At 600x magnification, skin appears as a landscape of dead cells, ridges, grooves, and pores.
- The skin is home to hundreds of thousands of bacteria per square inch.
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
The video describes the blood vessels and nerves within the skin that contribute to its functionality.
- Blood vessels pulse to the skin's connective tissues, and 45 miles of nerves connect to the skin.
- Skin's sensitivity varies across the body, with hands, feet, tongue, and lips being most sensitive.
Chapter 6
Skin's role in heating and cooling the body is explained, including how it deals with excess heat.
- The skin helps maintain a comfortable body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Blood vessels can expand to release heat, and sweat glands produce sweat to cool the body down.
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