Question
Question: Does anyone know how thick the skin (epidermis and dermis ) is on the back of the neck at the base?...
Does anyone know how thick the skin (epidermis and dermis ) is on the back of the neck at the base?
Solution
1)Skin is a type of epithelial tissue and is the largest organ in our body.
2)It protects and lines our entire body and also regulates its temperature.
Complete answer:
Skin is the largest organ of our body by length and weight and separates the internal environment of the body from the external environment by forming a protective covering. It regulates the body temperature, acts as a sensory organ, and provides the first line of defense in the immune system by protecting the body from foreign particles. It is made up of 3 layers- epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue or hypodermis. The epidermis is the upper layer of the skin and has 5 epithelial layers- stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum. Its thickness varies throughout the body.
It has 3 specialized cells- Melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. It creates a waterproof barrier and also decides our skin tone. The dermis is the middle layer of the skin and has 2 layers- The papillary dermis, and the reticular dermis. It consists of hair follicles, sweat glands, and oil glands, blood and lymph vessels, nerve ending, etc. They have a mesh of elastin, reticular and collagenous fibers. It supports and protects the skin and helps in its thermoregulation. It also plays a role in the sensation. The hypodermis is the lowest subcutaneous layer of the skin and is made up of mostly fats, connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. It interacts with the blood vessels and the nerves and connects the skin with the muscles. It also acts as a shock absorbent and an insulator.
Note: The thickest skin in our body is found in the palms or soles, of our legs or feet. They are about 4mm thick. The thinnest skin in our body is found in the eyelids and postauricular region. It is around 0.5 mm thick. Skin covers an area of about 2 square meters and weighs around 5 kg in a human adult.