The Skin: A Protective Organ
The three layers of the skin
What is the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis/ subcutaneous?
This deepest layer of the skin is made mostly of fat and helps insulate your body
What is the hypodermis?
This environmental factor increases the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma when you are overexposed
What is UV radiation?
Makes up 15% of our body weight
What is the skin?
The protein that makes up the Stratum Corneum
What is keratin?
When you gain weight, this layer of your skin stores the extra fat
What is the hypodermis?
The most common type of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring cancer of any kind in the United States
What is basal cell carcinoma (BCC)?
The natural pigment in your skin protects you by absorbing harmful UV rays from the sun
What is melanin?
Layer in areas like the lips and palm contain glabrous skin
What is the Stratum Lucidum?
Beneath the protective epidermis, these two layers help support the skin and keep the body warm
What are the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue?
Normal genes that usually help cells grow and divide, but it can become mutated, turning into cancer causing genes called oncogenes
What are proto-oncogenes?
The vital function of sweating and controlling blood flow by means of the sweat glands and blood vessels in the skin
What is temperature regulation?
Present in the Stratum Basale and becomes keratin later on
What is the keratinocytes?
These parts of the dermis which is the thickest layer of skin
What are fibroblasts, mast cells, and histiocytes?
If basal cells live longer, there is an increase of cancer risk due to the accumulation of this
What are genetic mutations?
The amount of skin shed in an average lifetime
How much is 40kg?
The 5 layers that make up the epidermal layering
What is the Stratum Corneum, Stratum Lucidum, Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Spinosum, and Stratum Basale.
These "universal progenitors" in the skin act as the parent cells to all other specialized cells in the tissue
What are stem cells?
In basal cell carcinoma, cancer forms when this process, typical of stem cells, happens without control
What is unchecked cell proliferation?
The amount of space in square feet that 300 million skin cells take up on our body
What is 21 sq. feet?