Skin Cells
Parts of Skin
- Epidermis - Outer layer of your skin, supports dead skin cells.
- Dermis - Inner layer of your skin, produces melanin and new skin cells.
- Blood vessel - transfers oxygen via your blood stream.
- Sensory nerve - allows for the sense 'touch'.
- Fibroblasts - tissue which contains fibre for health and nutrition.
- Hair Follicle - Skin cells which surrounds the root of your hair, to keep it safe and to transfer nutrients to your hair.
- Fat - An excess amount of flesh which is stored.
- Sweat Gland - An organ near the dermis which secretes sweat. (Sweat is released to cool the body).
Have you ever wondered what the largest organ in your body is? Well it's simple, it's the skin cell. Skin cells are located all around your body to enable protection from harmful substances and surfaces, it holds the rest of your internal organs in place, it keeps your body at the right temperature and it also grants you one of the five senses - touch. Your skin has two layers the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (inner layer), each having their own important job to keep you healthy and stable.
Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer layer of your skin which protects you and supports the dead skin cells, cells underneath your epidermis are creating new skin cells to replace old skin cells.
Dermis
The dermis is located underneath the epidermis so it cannot be seen with the human eye, since it is filled with nerves, it allows you to have a sense of touch, which transmits signals via electrical impulses, in just a split-second. 95% of the cells in your dermis are constantly working to produce new skin cells, which will later rise to the surface of the epidermis. The other 5% of the cells in your dermis are also working to produce a substance called melanin which gives your skin colour, the darker your skin tone, the more melanin you have. When you spend time in the sun, your skin produces melanin which helps to block ultraviolet rays (sun rays) from burning your skin, however, melanin cannot block all the sunlight, which is why we must wear protective clothing such as sunscreen, hats, shirts and trousers when we are in the harsh sunlight.
Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer layer of your skin which protects you and supports the dead skin cells, cells underneath your epidermis are creating new skin cells to replace old skin cells.
- A layer of new skin cells are being created under the epidermis.
- This new layer rises up to the surface of the epidermis.
- Existing dead skin cells are beginning to flake off, while being replaced by the new layer of skin cells, dead skin cells can offer extra protection.
- Dead skin cells rise to the top of all the skin, so basically the skin you see on your body are dead skin cells, which are tough and strong. Since these dead cells are microscopic, they cannot be seen flaking off with the human eye.
Dermis
The dermis is located underneath the epidermis so it cannot be seen with the human eye, since it is filled with nerves, it allows you to have a sense of touch, which transmits signals via electrical impulses, in just a split-second. 95% of the cells in your dermis are constantly working to produce new skin cells, which will later rise to the surface of the epidermis. The other 5% of the cells in your dermis are also working to produce a substance called melanin which gives your skin colour, the darker your skin tone, the more melanin you have. When you spend time in the sun, your skin produces melanin which helps to block ultraviolet rays (sun rays) from burning your skin, however, melanin cannot block all the sunlight, which is why we must wear protective clothing such as sunscreen, hats, shirts and trousers when we are in the harsh sunlight.
Interesting Facts
every minute we shed 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cell flakes.
Why are they so important to have?
Everyone needs skin cells to hold their internal organs in place. It allows us to have a sense of touch and protects our body from harmful substances and surfaces that we may touch.
every minute we shed 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cell flakes.
Why are they so important to have?
Everyone needs skin cells to hold their internal organs in place. It allows us to have a sense of touch and protects our body from harmful substances and surfaces that we may touch.
Bibliography
Skin cell sites
http://www.knowyourownskin.com.au/understanding-skin/layers-of-the-skin/
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/skin.html
Skin cell images
http://wordpress.as.edu.au/jsimmons/files/2012/10/200905021SUM12.jpg
http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/053/683/original/300skin.JPG?1370899703
http://skinclinicallabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/skin-diagram.png
http://www.bonamour.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Skin-cell-1.jpg
Skin cell sites
http://www.knowyourownskin.com.au/understanding-skin/layers-of-the-skin/
http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/skin.html
Skin cell images
http://wordpress.as.edu.au/jsimmons/files/2012/10/200905021SUM12.jpg
http://i.livescience.com/images/i/000/053/683/original/300skin.JPG?1370899703
http://skinclinicallabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/skin-diagram.png
http://www.bonamour.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Skin-cell-1.jpg