Why does the body have skin?
Skin is a flexible, waterproof covering that protects us from the outside world. It prevents harmful germs from entering the body. Skin is your largest organ, and it is sensitive to touch, temperature and pain. Your skin tells you what is happening around your body, so you can avoid injuring yourself. Also it helps to prevent damage from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Skin also helps to regulate body temperature by sweating and flushing to lose heat when you get too hot.
Is skin alive?
All the skin cells that you can see are dead! Your body is constantly producing new skin cells from beneath the surface skin layer that you can see. As new cells push upwards towards the surface, the older cells on top become flattened and eventually die. The dead cells form a protective layer that constantly flakes away like dust.
Why do people have different skin colours?
Skin colour is caused by a dark pigment called melanin in cells below the skin’s surface. Melanin filters out harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun, preventing damage to the tissues beneath the skin. People originating from hot countries have developed extra melanin in their skins for Sun protection, so their skin is darker.
Pictures Credit: Google