Every human body, even the leanest and smallest, has an abundance of skin. The National Institutes of Health report that the average person has between 6 and 9 lbs, of skin organ, equating to approximately 2 square yards. As the body ages and moisture production declines, the skin thins and becomes wrinkled.
Protective Barrier
Skin protects the interior body from the outside, including chemicals, temperature, viruses and bacteria. Skin also creates melanin pigments to protect the body by blocking excess ultraviolet rays. When the skin is damaged by burns, or when extensive wounds or surgery remove large sections of skin, skin grafting can be used to harvest areas of skin from other parts of the body. The areas of the upper thigh and buttocks is frequently used for grafts, due to the large areas of skin on these locations.
Body Temperature Regulation and Insulation
The skin works as a body insulator through the dermal layers and tissue that protect against exposure to heat and cold. Skin regulates the body temperature and insulates the interior from temperature changes. Bodies are designed to maintain an average temperature of 98.6 degrees F. When the skin is exposed to a cold outside environment, the blood vessels located in the dermis skin layer, located under the top layer of skin (called the epidermis), narrow to confine the warm blood flow to the lower levels of the skin, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This process retains body heat. When the outside environment is warm, the skin opens sweat glands to secrete moisture. Sweat evaporates on the skin and cools the body temperature.
Sensory Barometer
The skin is a flexible sensory organ that transmits information about the outside environment. It transmits hot and cold conditions as well as dryness or wetness. The barometer retains its function through constant replacement of skin cells. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) describes the process as "...continuous cell division in the basal layer, [and] nutrients being provided by the blood vessels in the papillary layer." When the cells move closer to the top layer, the ABPI states, the cells lose their nuclei and die.
Biofactory Function
Recent studies have explored the biofactory function of skin. Researchers in the Pathology Department at the University of Southern California speculated as early as 2002 that the skin "operates as a huge and highly active biofactory for the synthesis, processing and/or metabolism of... structural proteins, glycans, lipids and signaling molecules." In non-clinical terms, the scientists speculate that the skin, through an interaction of the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, develops what they term a "cross-talk" to keep the body (the biofactory) functioning.
