Dictionary » S » Skin

Skin

Definition

noun

(1) (anatomy) The external membranous integument of the body; the outer protective covering of (the body of) an organism.

(2) (botany) The integumentary covering, surface layer or outer casing such as the bark or husk of a plant and the exterior coat (peel) of fruits and vegetables.

(3) An animal pelt, e.g. of a small or young animal used by humans for clothing, upholstery, etc.

(4) A vessel made of animal skin, especially used for containing liquids.


verb

(1) To strip off or remove skin from, as to skin an animal.

(2) To cover with (or as if) with skin, as to cover superficially.

(3) To bruise or injure the skin of.


Supplement

In humans, the skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system. The role of the skin is vital to organisms as it protects the body (especially the underlying tissues) against pathogens and excessive water loss. It is also involved in providing insulation, temperature regulation and sensation.


Word origin: Icel. Skinn; akin to Sw. Skinn, Dan. Skind, AS. Scinn, G. Schined to skin.

See also: integumentary system

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Re: Re:

Well, at first glance, I don't know if is there any correlation between skin colour and brain capacity, but empirically I would say there is, if you just compare native europeans with native africans. You mean the same Africans who grossly outperform Europeans ...

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by Seth90210
Thu May 23, 2013 8:50 pm
 
Forum: Human Biology
Topic: Brain size=IQ level theory (Blacks vs Whites & Asians)
Replies: 51
Views: 181224

Re: How Genes/expression Determine Organism Shape

... 3 sense another cell layer on one side only and "environment" on the other side. Hence, they become precursors of the outer cell types - skin/mucosa. The middle layer senses cells on both sides and, therefore, becomes precursor for everything on the inside... I oversimplified it, but ...

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by Cat
Mon May 20, 2013 1:41 pm
 
Forum: Genetics
Topic: How Genes/expression Determine Organism Shape
Replies: 2
Views: 314

Re:

... Not true! (Though have no idea what it has to do with "intelligent designer") Most mutations are sources of variation. Eye color, skin color, height, etc. We call such mutations "alleles". Compare the number of mutations responsible for the amount of variation that exists ...

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by Cat
Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:00 pm
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: What are some reasons that prove adaptations are not designe
Replies: 7
Views: 1691

Re: Human body odor

... got me thinking about this , how could a stinky primitive man sneak up on his prey with a crappy bow or spear if he smelled so strong ? The human skin is quite a harsh environment for bacteria and other microbes: it is dry, low on nutrients, its oils and enzymes have antimicrobial properties and ...

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by biohazard
Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:37 am
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Human body odor
Replies: 3
Views: 540

cell specific markers

... example for a relatively high frequency difference is a polymorphism at the human melanocortin 1 receptor locus (MC1R), an enzyme involved in skin color formation. In a study by Rana et al. (1999) one allele was not identifiable in any Africans, but showed a frequency of 70% in East and Southeast ...

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by MarkHolland
Sat Mar 30, 2013 3:16 pm
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: cell specific markers
Replies: 3
Views: 918
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