Were you aware the largest organ of the body is your skin? That's right, the skin! In biology, an organ is defined as a group of tissues in a living organism that have been adapted to perform a specific function. The skin is part of the integumentary system, one of the 10 organ systems of the body.
Your skin protects your muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and internal organs while keeping vital moisture in. Your skin is rich with capillaries and nerves, which enable temperature regulation and sensations of hot, cold, and touch. The skin is a wondrous organ! After injuries,
your skin can heal itself. One average square inch of skin can hold 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, and more than 1000 nerve endings.
Everyone's skin can vary widely in color. Melanin is the pigment in a person's skin and comes from melanocytes, which are a special type of color producing cells in the skin. Melanocytes produces a varying amount of melanin, which is why some people are very pale and others are very dark.
No matter how dark your skin is, the UV rays from the sun can still cause damage to the skin and its cells and can increase your risk of skin cancer. It is very important to protect our skin, as it is a vital part of our body!