How many dead-skin flakes fall off every day?
Human body
112
All about skin
Two layers
Your skin has two main layers.
The top one – the one you can see –
is called the epidermis.
Underneath is the
dermis, where there
are nerves and
blood vessels.
Skin covers your whole body. It protects
you from germs, water, and sunshine,
and helps keep your body at the
right temperature.
House dust
Dust is mostly
made of dead
skin. Dust mites
feed on this skin.
They live in
beds, pillows,
and carpets.
The skin on
your eyelids
is the thinnest
on your body.
There are flat cells on
the surface of your
skin. These are made
from a tough material
called keratin. When the
cells die, they dry out and
flake off.
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Dust mites aren’t
really this big! They’re
so small you can’t see
them.
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Magnified skin flakes
Skin cells lower down
replace the dead ones
that flake off.
Heavy load
Skin is the
heaviest single
part of your
body. It can
weigh as much
as a bag of
shopping.
Waterproof seal
Skin stops water getting into your
body when you have a shower or
go for a swim. It also stops fluids
escaping from inside you.
