Burns
What a wonderful thing our skin is. No other organ of the human body is able to withstand the abuse, neglect, or daily beatings that our skin has to endure. It is truly a most remarkable organ. The protective layer that holds us together, skin keeps the good things in and the bad things out. It is waterproof, stretchable, washable, wrinkle-resistant, and self-repairing. Withstanding frequent insults, it is constantly repairing the daily ravages of abrasions, wounds, burns, scratches, and insect bites, while it is continuously resisting invasion from various disease-causing microbes, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. And, all the while, this covering prevents dehydration, provides thermoregulation, and provides vitamin D that is necessary in the absorption of calcium in the small intestine. Without intact skin, we would quickly die from dehydration, heat loss, and infectious disease.
November/December 2005 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 18, Number 6
