One of the skin's many basic functions is acting as a warning system against physical danger from any direction. It can detect a touch on nearly every place on the body. Further, the skin can detect not only a 'contact' feeling, it can detect vibration, pressure, temperature, rubbing and liquid or dry. The skin also is a barrier to outside bacteria, viruses, toxins, liquids, gasses and chemical irritants that might enter the sensitive body areas. And as you have observed, it is your body's automatic temperature regulator to keep your temperature right around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Only a few degrees up or down will cause you to feel really bad as a signal that you are in an unhealthy condition and you better do something fast to correct the situation. On the other hand, warm and wet can feel very good!
The skin also serves as a sun radiation shield, blocking out harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. Approximately five percent of the skin cells make a dark substance called melanin that gives skin its color and blocks the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. The darker your skin is, the more melanin you have in your skin. When you go out into the sun, the cells make extra melanin to protect you from getting burned by the sun's ultraviolet rays. Many people think a suntan looks sexy. In any case, at least they are getting their vitamin D because the skin allows sunlight through the surface to produce vitamin D. This vitamin is necessary for absorption of dietary calcium and phosphate that is vital to healthy teeth, bones and brain function.
The skin is the body's largest organ and makes up approximately one-fifth of the total body weight. It has over half a million sensory signal fibers entering the spinal cord just on the back. The skin also stores fat, acts as a shock absorber against mechanical impact and is the body's largest eliminative organ, nearly always excreting salt, water and other chemicals. Some of these chemicals are pheromones that attract and stimulate the opposite sex.
When you look at a person's skin you see the top layer called the epidermis which is made up of dead skin cells. Yes, when you look at a nude person what you are looking at is mostly dead! Not to worry. Under the epidermis are billions of new cells that push off the old dead cells along with any accumulated bacteria, dirt and stains. This is an automatic cleaning system for the body's exterior! Though you can't see it happening, every minute of the day you lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of your skin. That is billions of these dead skin cells every day amounting to almost 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of dead cells a year. That is good reason to bathe and change clothes and bed linen regularly!
OK, now the fun stuff about the skin.
Your skin is a wonderful pleasure organ! The right touch, stroke or pat can trigger off wonderful feelings as the brain releases dozens of different hormones that instantly go into the blood. In different parts of the body the hormones start actions preparing the body for more action. Remember that these bodies we are driving around the planet have at their deepest level two primary goals: (1) survive and (2) find a mate and make more little bodies. Nature's way to get us to do that chore is to make it feel really really good and a whole lot of fun! The more recently added new brain cerebral cortex with its complex thought processes has turned the mating process into something of a game. This game has rituals and many unexpected turns and twists that make flirting, dating and mating very exciting. Some people say it is a lot like hunting where the 'chase' is more fun than the 'capture'. Well, some people say that but you know what you like.
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