Looking for random facts about skin? Are you preparing a lesson plan on skin? Are you teaching your child about body parts and want to share information on skin? Here are some quick facts about skin.
Skin is the largest organ of the body.
Yes, skin is an organ. That means it is the largest organ that you have, as it is bigger than your heart, lungs and other organs. It covers the entire surface of your body. If you could somehow stretch out your skin flat, it would complete an area of approximately ten feet.
Skin is thicker in some areas and thinner in others.
The bottom of your feet has the thickest skin. It is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Your eyelids have the thinnest skin. It is only about 1/50 of an inch thick.
Skin protects the body.
Skin serves as a shield to protect your delicate organs, muscles and bones. It produces oil to make the skin waterproof. It keeps germs from entering your body.
Skin consists of two layers.
Skin has two layers. The top is the epidermis. It has dead skin cells, which fall off constantly. New cells are always being created inside your skin. They live for approximately three weeks and eventually flake off.
The second layer is the dermis. It holds sweat glands, fat cells, hair follicles, nerves to your brain, subcutaneous (fat) tissue, and sebaceous (oil) glands.
30,000 to 40,000 skin cells fall off your body every minute.
While it may seem hard to believe, your skin loses 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells every minute! That equates to over eight pounds of dead skin cells every year.
About 70 to 80 percent of dust is dead skin cells.
Ever noticed how your books or shelves get dusty? Most of that dust is actually dead skin cells. Since you lose so many every day, they pile up.
Your skin releases waste.
Your body releases wastes and toxins through sweat, which is produced by skin. On most days, skin will produce more than a pint of sweat.
Skin is a good indicator of your health.
Often, you can tell if someone is sick based on how their skin looks. When people are sick, their skin might look pale. When they are tired, they might have bags under their eyes. It can also indicate age, through wrinkles and spots.
Skin heals itself very quickly.
If you get a cut, or a small burn, your skin can repair itself very quickly. Since the dermis (top layer) of the skin is living tissue, your body will immediately begin to heal a wound. Blood from a cut will form a scab and seal the wound. Scars will form if the scab was removed before it healed or it became infected, or was a very large cut.
Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer.
Just like you can get cancer on other organs, such as the heart and liver, you can get cancer on your skin. If you see a spot or mole that looks different, it is important to talk to your doctor. Many health professionals recommend the “ABC’s” of early detection for skin cancer. That means check for asymetry (if it is not a circle or looks to be an equal shape on both sides), border (look for edges that are blurry or scalloped), color (if the color on it varies), and diameter (if it is bigger that 1/4 of an inch.)
These are just a few fun facts for kids about skin. For other random facts, please read “10 Fun Facts for Kids About Hair” and “Fun Facts for Kids About Teeth.” You might also read “Fun Science Facts for Kids About Bones.”
SOURCES:
Skin by Brian Watts
Skin, Hair and Teeth by Bridget Ardley
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/09/01/does_the_dust_in_my_house_really_include_my_own_skin
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/is-house-dust-mostly-dead-skin-0494/