Skin

:For alternate meanigns see skin (disambiguation)

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In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. Skin is used for insulation, vitamin D and B production (although people with darker skintone produce more vitamin B than D and people with lighter skin tones produce more vitamin D than B in dramatically different proportions. Hence, in Africa there is Rahitism, as lack of vitamin D in the organism), sensation, and excretion (through sweat).

Related Topics:
Zootomy - Dermatology - Organ - Integumentary system - Tissues - Muscle - Insulation - Vitamin D - B - Rahitism - Sensation - Excretion - Sweat

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Skin on creatures regularly subjected to sunlight have pigmentation which absorbs the potentially dangerous radiation contained therein. Human skin pigmentation varies across populations in a visually dramatic manner. This has sometimes led to the classification of people(s) on the basis of skin color. See the article on human skin color for more information.

Related Topics:
Sunlight - Pigment - Radiation - Human skin color

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Mammalian skin often contains hairs, which in sufficient density is called fur. The hair mainly serves to augment the insulation the skin provides. On some animals the skin is very hard and thick, and can be processed to create leather.

Related Topics:
Mammal - Fur - Hair - Leather

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Damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue, often giving rise to discoloration and depigmentation of the skin.

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The skin is often known as "the largest organ in the human body": this applies to exterior surface, as it covers the body, appearing to have the largest surface area of all the organs. Moreover, it applies to weight, as it weighs more than any single internal organ, accounting for about 15 percent of body weight. For the average adult homo sapiens, the skin has a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square metres, most of it is between 1-2 mm thick.

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The skin on a person's face is seen by people that person interacts with. For some people, therefore, facial skin care is of particular importance, and they often use cosmetics to deal with the appearance of the face and condition of the skin, such as those for pore control and black head cleansing.

Related Topics:
Cosmetics - Pore control - Black head

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