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Get Inside Your Skin
It protects us from injuries and infections, and it shields us from light and heat. It helps regulate our temperatures, relays information about our environment to the brain, and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. Consisting of three layers -- the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue -- the skin is the body's largest organ, weighing about 6 pounds. As our most visible organ, it plays an important part in appearance.
Blood Vessels | Sebaceous Glands | Sweat Glands | Hair Follicle
Epidermis
The top layer of skin, the epidermis, is a translucent layer made of the cells that manufacture skin. The outer layer contains dead skin cells that are continually shed. Keratin, a protein formed from cells called keratinocytes, protects the skin from harmful substances. Underneath are flat, scale-like cells called squamous cells, and beneath them are round basal cells. The epidermis also contains cells that produce melanin (melanocytes), which gives skin its color.
Reviewed by Matthew Hoffman, MD on October 28, 2008
This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: 
© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
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