What You Should Know About Nails And Skin

Introduction

The skin is the largest organ of the body. In the event that skin was stretched out flat from an adult male who weighs about 150 pounds, then it is possible that it will occupy close to 1.7 square meters and weigh about 9 pounds. It is a very important component of the body for it protects the network of muscles, bones, nerves, the blood vessels as well as everything else that is inside the body. The eyelids are the part of the body that tends to have the thinnest skin while the foot soles’ skin is the thickest.

History

The skin is very important to the body in many ways. The following are some of the important functions of the skin:

1. Life sustaining fluids for instance blood and water are protected from loss by the skin.
2. The temperature of the body is regulated by the skin through a process called perspiration.
3. The sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays are also protected by the skin from causing harm to the body.

The skin contains very many cells, sweat glands, nerve endings, bloods vessels as well as oil glands. It has got three layers which include the epidermis that is the protective tough outer layer that contains cells that produce melanin, keratin and the cells that protect the body against infections. It is followed by the dermis that is composed of nerve endings, blood vessels plus the connective tissue. The last layer is the subcutaneous tissue that comprises connective tissue, blood vessels, sweat glands and cells that store fat.

Features

The Nails
Nails on the other hand are a type of skin that has been modified. Their basic function is to protect the sensitive tips for the fingers as well as the toes. Though the human nails may not be necessary for living, they are very crucial for they provide support for finger tips as well as the tips of toes, they also protect the tips from injury and they come in handy when you have to pick up small objects. It will be so difficult to scratch an itch or untie a knot for someone who does not have nails. When nails are growing properly, it can be an indicator that the person is healthy but improper growth of nails may mean that the person’s health is not good for illness affects their proper growth.

The nails develop from the deep folds which are part of the skin that make up the fingers and toes. They are formed from a substance known as keratin and therefore the process that leads to their formation is known as keratinization. The nails are pushed forward and therefore becoming longer as a result of the nail cells accumulating. Below the nails, there is a skin that is referred to as the skin matrix. You will notice that a large part of the nail plate looks pink. The reason to that is because there is a network of very tiny blood vessels that are found in the underlying dermis. At the base of the nails, you can see a whitish crescent shaped area. It is known as the lunula.

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