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Many of them are bacteria of which there are around 1,000 species upon human skin from nineteen phyla. [1] [2] Most are found in the superficial layers of the epidermis and the upper parts of hair follicles. Skin flora is usually non-pathogenic, and either commensal (are not harmful to their host) or mutualistic (offer a benefit).
The actual skin colour of different humans is affected by many substances, although the single most important substance determining human skin colour is the pigment melanin. Melanin is produced within the skin in cells called melanocytes and it is the main determinant of the skin colour of darker-skinned humans.
In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells. [1] Basal cells in the basal layer ( stratum basale ) of the skin are sometimes referred to as basal keratinocytes . [ 2 ] Keratinocytes form a barrier against environmental damage by heat , UV radiation , water loss , pathogenic bacteria , fungi , parasites , and viruses .
The tonofibrils go on to form the desmosomes, which allow for strong connections to form between adjacent keratinocytes. The stratum spinosum also contains Langerhans cells , which functions as a macrophage by engulfing bacteria, foreign particles, and damaged cells that occur in this layer.
The dermis is composed of three major types of cells: [3] fibroblasts, macrophages, and mast cells.. Apart from these cells, the dermis is also composed of matrix components such as collagen (which provides strength), elastin (which provides elasticity), and extrafibrillar matrix, an extracellular gel-like substance primarily composed of glycosaminoglycans (most notably hyaluronan ...
The skin weighs an average of four kilograms, covers an area of two square metres, and is made of three distinct layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. [1] The two main types of human skin are: glabrous skin, the hairless skin on the palms and soles (also referred to as the "palmoplantar" surfaces), and hair-bearing skin. [3]
The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. [1] The epidermal layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens [2] and regulates the amount of water released from the body into the atmosphere through transepidermal water loss.
Some skin secretions are associated with body hair. Skin secretions originate from glands that in dermal layer of the epidermis. Sweat, a physiological aid to body temperature regulation, is secreted by eccrine glands. Sebaceous glands secrete the skin lubricant sebum. Sebum is secreted onto the hair shaft and it prevents the hair from splitting.