Read article The skin
This page tells you about the skin. You can find the following information
The skin
The skin is really another body organ. It does several important jobs such as being a barrier and protecting everything inside your body. The skin is made up of two main layers. The epidermis on the outside and the dermis underneath. New cells are made in the deep layers of the epidermis and are pushed towards the surface. The surface layers of the skin are made up of cells that have died and become filled with a substance called keratin. Keratin is a tough waxy substance that helps to make the skin strong enough to protect the body.
Skin cells and cancer
There are several different types of non melanoma skin cancer. The most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. Basal cells are the cells found at the bottom of the epidermis. These are the cells that all the normal skin cells above come from. They are also the cells that basal cell skin cancers can develop from. Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer. The cells that make keratin are called keratinocytes. It is these cells that can develop into squamous cell skin cancer.
In the deeper layers of the epidermis are cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes make melanin. Melanin is a brown substance. It helps to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. It is these cells that become cancerous in melanoma.
Skin cancers can be slow growing and it can take some years before a cancer is noticed. But sometimes a skin cancer can grow very quickly ̶̶ within a few months.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the about skin cancer section.
The skin is really another body organ. It does several jobs for us. It
- Protects the inside of the body from damage
- Helps to keep our body temperature more or less the same
- Gets rid of some body waste products through sweat
The skin is made up of 2 main layers. The epidermis on the outside and the dermis underneath.
You can see from the diagram that the thickness of the epidermis and the dermis can be between about 2mm to 4mm. This depends on the part of the body the skin is covering. The skin on your back is quite thick. It has an epidermis and dermis of about 4mm. The skin on your face is much thinner. It is the cells of the top layer, the epidermis, that are most at risk of sun damage. Sun damage is the cause of most skin cancers.
Basal cells are found at the bottom of the epidermis. These are the cells that all the normal skin cells above come from. They are also the cells that basal cell skin cancers can develop from. Basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer. The top layers of the skin are made up of cells that have died and become filled with keratin. Keratin is a tough waxy substance that helps to make the skin strong enough to protect the body. The cells that make keratin are called keratinocytes. It is these cells that can develop into squamous cell skin cancer.
In the deeper layers of the epidermis are cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes make melanin. This is the brown substance that the melanocytes produce when the skin is exposed to the sun. Melanin helps to protect your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. It is melanin that makes fair skinned people tan in the sun. Melanocytes are more active in darker skinned people and make more melanin. So dark skinned people are more protected against skin cancer than fair skinned people. It is these cells that can become cancerous in melanoma.
There are several different types of non melanoma skin cancer. The most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. Both these cancers develop from cells found in the epidermis, the top layer of the skin.
Skin cancers can be slow growing and it can take some years before a cancer is noticed. But sometimes a skin cancer can grow very quickly ̶̶ within a few months.
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