01.

04 Skin – The Largest Organ (15 Points)

Directions: Part 1 – Answer ONE of the essay questions below. Delete the choices
you don’t use. Please include 2 functions of the dermis and epidermis.

Part 1 (5 Points)

Choice #3: This weekend you are going camping with your closest friends and family.
Thankfully, the layers of your skin will help protect you during this adventure. Discuss at
least two ways each layer, the epidermis and dermis, may protect you on this excursion.

Describe two ways these skin layers are at work in your scenario:
Epidermis
1. During camping I may experience running or hiking or doing typical activities in which
I can get a scratch, bump, or cut. My body uses my epidermis to protect me from
vigorous activities by creating a link of cells that work together in order to make sure my
body is shielded from its environment
2. The epidermis will also help my skin during camping by protecting my body from
infection, fungi, and bacteria. This acidity of the epidermis promotes a cleanse for any
entering invading bacteria.

Dermis -or- hypodermis

1.During camping injury is not something that is garmented, but it is very likely. Your
dermis will help protect your skin due to its course connective tissue in which will reduce
impact onto my body from penetration wounds.
2. During camping I will be experiencing fluctuations of weather considering night and
day. My body will prevent my body temperatures from lowering or rising and work to
maintain homeostasis. Blood flow will dilate in order to control blood flow and prevent
heat loss. Your body also contains sweat glands to ensure your body temperature is
stable by releasing liquids from your epidermis to cool you down.

Directions: Part 2 – Write your own scenario in paragraph form, using a completely
different scenario than your first answer.

Describe two ways each skin layer is at work in your scenario.

Part 2 (10 Points)

This scenario will be completely different than your original one. Write your own skin
scenario here (5 points):
Josie was working in the backyard with her grandmother. Josies grandma was trimming the plants with
garden scissors. As josies grandma back away and stands up from the garden platform she suddenly
drops the scissors, and it makes a cut on josies foot. The day after josie was in complete awe of the ugly
cut it left her, she started to cry. Days went by and josie and josie suddenly forgot about it. Weeks after
Josies looked down in shock, her foot had healed itself. She was ecstatic.

Describe two ways these skin layers are at work in your scenario:

Epidermis (please do not reuse functions from part 1):

1. Josies epidermis helped heal her foot fast and repair damage by reproducing new
cells to replace damaged ones. Her epidermis cells reprouce the collegen needed to
repair her damaged tissue. Her cells rise to the outermost layer of the epidermis in order
to bond the wound.
2. Josies epidermis also helped repair her wound by a process called diffrentation.
Josies epidermis cells divide in which then they produce a product called keratin which
forms a rough barrier on the outsid of the skin. The old cells then begin to shed.

Dermis -or- hypodermis (please do not reuse functions from part 1):
1. Josies dermis protects her wounds as her blood vessels work to fight infection. Her
blood vessels located in her dermis will work to provide oxygen to the wound in order to
promote healing.
2. Josies dermis also protects her skin by providing mechanical support. The elasticity
from the collegen her skin produces influences her blood vessles to tighten up in order
too prevent extreme blood loss. The mehcanical support prevents her wounds from
becoming larger and spreading deeper into her skin. This is why her wound healed in
no time.