The skin is an organ of the body, in both animals and humans. It covers the outside of the body. As a shell, it protects us from injuries and bacteria. It weighs more than any other organ. In an adult human, it is almost two square meters in size.
Our skin has a thin outer skin, which is also called the horny layer or epidermis. It is made up of dead cells. Underneath is the leather skin, the dermis. In the dermis are nerves and blood vessels. The roots of the hair and the glands for sweat and sebum are also located there. The sebum ensures that the skin does not dry out.
In the skin are small dyes called pigments? Dark-skinned people have a lot of pigment. When the sun shines on the skin, it makes more pigment. This makes the skin darker and better protected against the sun. Fair-skinned people, on the other hand, get sunburned easily. Some people and animals have no pigment at all. It’s called albinism.