When you think of organs, your heart, lungs, and kidneys may be the first to come to mind.
The skin, the largest and most apparent organ of your body, may go unnoticed.
The skin is much more critical to your body than its appearance; it protects it from hazardous organisms and controls body temperature.
It goes well beyond what you see in the mirror every day. Healthy skin can contribute to a healthy body.
Read on to peel back the layers of what your skin can do and how you can best care for this superhero organ.
What does the skin do?
The skin accounts for about 15 percent of your body weight.
It also serves multiple purposes. It’s part of a team of organs that work together.
The skin cannot just be seen as the body’s covering or wrapping. It is a crucial organ system with many functions and complexity.
The skin is a superhero organ for its ability to:
- provide immunity
- cover and protect internal body parts and functions
- release sweat
- synthesize vitamin D
- make melanin
- allow us to differentiate between textures, temperatures, and more via touch
1. Protects us from invaders
When it comes to protecting our bodies from hazardous outside forces like viruses, the epidermis, or the top layer of skin, is literally on the front line.
Pathogens can’t establish a foothold on intact skin. A disrupted skin barrier allows viruses and bacteria to enter the skin more deeply and cause infection.
However, despite infections penetrating the skin, this superhero organ will continue to fight.
To aid the body in defending against and combating pathogens, skin cells collaborate and organize immune signals.
White blood cells from the body constantly circulate through the skin, conducting immune surveillance.
Additionally, epidermal keratinocytes, which produce proteins and peptides with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral capabilities, are found in the skin.
The sebaceous glands also secrete oil, providing additional protection against foreign substances. It also keeps the skin soft as a benefit.
2. Sheaths the muscles, bones, internal organs, and nervous system
The skin’s protective properties don’t end with immunity.
The third layer of skin, the hypodermis or subcutis, is composed of fat that serves as a natural shock absorber.
If the body experiences trauma, such as a fall or car crash, this fat is a thick cushion that stifles the blow and keeps our internal body safe.
3. Releases sweat
Sweat isn’t simply a sign of a workout well done.
Sweat helps to cool the skin and prevent the body from overheating.
Sweating occurs through two types of glands. Eccrine glands cover most of the body and open onto the skin’s surface. Apocrine glands open into the hair follicle and can be found on the scalp, armpits, and groin.
Whether the body can “sweat out toxins” is a topic of debate.
- Heavy metal levels were lower in individuals who regularly exercised.
- Sweat was a possible way to remove Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical frequently found in plastics.
Still, a 2019 review called for more well-controlled studies to clarify whether sweat plays a meaningful role in eliminating toxins in the body.
4. Synthesizes vitamin D
Vitamin D is produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. There are many uses for vitamin D in the body.
It might help with the following:
- bone health
- protection against skin cancers
- immune function
- psoriasis management
- reduced risk and decreased severity of atopic dermatitis
5. Contains melanin
Melanin, a pigment that determines an individual’s skin tone, is found in the epidermis. Your skin tone will be darker the more melanin you have.
Melanin is responsible for much more than just the color of your skin. It also offers protection from the sun’s U.V. radiation.
These rays are responsible for the following:
- sunburn
- skin cancer
- premature aging
- reduced collagen production
- reduced skin elasticity
6. Affects touch
What would life be like if you could not cuddle your dog, hold a close friend, or feel the comfort of a warm blanket? We can sense touch’s pleasure and pain because of the skin.
Your skin gives you the ability to recognize and feel pressure and pain. It deciphers textures and can distinguish between hot and cold temperatures.
The skin does this through tiny but powerful touch receptors, including:
- Thermoreceptors help determine temperature.
- Nociceptors let you know when something is painful, like a wound.
- Mechanoreceptors to identify press, such as a firm handshake.
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