The Skin As An Organ Of The Body

We need a good maintenance of the skin as it plays so many roles and functions in much way. When we are talking about organ, the skin is the largest organ of the body because it covers all the internal organ in the body.

The skin serve so many function to our body and the most common function that most people say is the protection, yes it really protect our body but what of temperature regulation, control of body temperature, formation of vitamin D and lots more.

There are some people that don’t actually know the main function of the skin and they take it for granted by not taking good care of it. That is why I intend to write an article on the important role of the skin and I will list the function of skin in this article including those that I have enumerated above. 

1. Regulation of Body Temperature

Our skin really helps during the regulation of temperature internally and externally. It helps the liver when it's performing its metabolic reaction in the body and other organ in our body. It regulates the body temperature by the production of the required amount of heat for the body like I said earlier in the production of heat for liver. It also helps to regulate the amount of heat loss in your body.

The skin releases excess heat that is not needed by the body so as to balance up with amount of heat in the body. 

2. Control of Body Temperature

The hypothalamus in your central nervous system helps to control your body temperature which is the nervous control. There are two other ways that the body helps to control your temperature which are vasodilation and vasoconstriction.

Vasodilation is the process by which your blood vessel become wider when there is hot body temperature and it will enable the escape of heat to the atmosphere there by cooling your body and there will be a decrease in your body temperature while vasoconstriction is the opposite of vasodilation which is the tightening of the blood vessel there by retaining the body heat where there is a cold temperature.

Each two processes take place at different occasions, vasodilation helps when there is hot body temperature will vasoconstriction helps when there is cold body temperature.

3. Absorption

This role of skin is limited but substances that can be absorbed include

• Some drugs , in transdermal patches e.g. hormone replacement therapy during the menopause, nicotine as an aid to stopping smoking
• Some toxic chemicals e.g mercury

Formation of Vitamin D
There is a formation of vitamin D in the skin when you expose your skin to the direct ultraviolet light from the sun which is needed for strong bones and healthy muscles. Vitamin D also functions as maintenance of accurate levels of phosphorus and calcium in the body.

4. Sensory Receptor

The skin take part in sensory receptor by receiving the external stimulus and send it to the central nervous system and the brain will give out the type of the stimulus. There are different types of stimuli that the skin receives like pressure, temperature, detection of touch, vibration and even pain.

The skin functions as the first component in the sensory system because it is the receiver of the external stimulus.

5. Excretion

Unwanted substances in your body can also be get rid off by the skin and there are many substance that can be excreted. We all know that sweat comes out through the skin and the sweat is made up of water, urea and even sodium chloride so at the same time we excreted the listed material also.

It also excretes carbon dioxide as the lungs also do. It excretes urea most especially when the kidney function is impaired. Aromatic substances for example garlic and other spices are also involved.

The skin also helps in wound healing when there is injury on the skin surface which is internal method.

All what we are saying on the roles functions of the is that you should take good care of your skin and since you know the roles you will also know how to take care of it.