Skin

This passage is about the many functions your skin performs.

Lexile Level: 790L

Categories: Science & Technology

Did you know that your skin is an organ? In fact, it is the largest organ in your body. It weighs more than any other organ. It accounts for about 15 percent of your body weight. It is also larger in size than any other organ in your body. This is pretty amazing considering your skin is only about two to three millimeters thick. Your skin serves several functions. It acts as insulation. You sweat through your skin to keep cool. It also acts like a rain jacket, keeping water out. You feel through your skin and its nerve endings. Perhaps most importantly, your skin keeps all sorts of harmful foreign agents out of your body. Your skin contains pigment, which blocks the sun's ultraviolet rays from damaging the rest of your body. An average square inch of skin contains over 20 blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and 1,000 nerve endings.