Matt Venus, Jacqueline Waterman, Ian McNab,

Basic physiology of the skin,

Surgery (Oxford),
Volume 29, Issue 10,
2011,
Pages 471-474,
ISSN 0263-9319,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpsur.2011.06.010.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263931911001311)
Abstract: This article aims to increase the knowledge of the surgical trainee of
both the anatomy and the physiological functions of the skin. The skin is often
classified as the largest organ of the body and it is one that all surgeons will
operate on or through. It is therefore vital that the surgeon understands the
layers of the skin and the structures that are found within these layers. The skin
can be injured in a number of situations including burns. It is important to
understand how these injuries can affect the physiological function of the skin,
for example with fluid loss. The skin has interesting biomechanical properties and
demonstrates anisotropy, which are important concepts to understand especially in
relation to siting of incisions. Finally, by having a thorough understanding of the
skin the surgeon will be able to understand how disease processes affect the
different components of the skin.
Keywords: Anatomy; biomechanics; physiology; skin