THE SKIN

The skin has different essential roles: it constitutes a protective barrier for the organism, it allows the secretion of sweat (which allows the animal to cool itself locally) and of sebum (produced by the sebaceous glands at the level of the hair follicles) which is used as protection against bacteria, it intervenes in the storage of fats, and finally, it informs the organism of a contact, of a pain or of the external environment (temperature, pressure).

The epidermis is the superficial layer of the skin whose surface is formed of keratinized cells that shed. The epidermis is the tissue that covers the dermis, the deep part of the skin.

The dermis is the inner layer of the skin. This dermis is located between the epidermis (thinner layer) located above it and the subcutaneous fatty tissue (under the skin) that it covers. The dermis helps to protect and repair damaged tissue. It is made up of a protein called collagen, which creates the scar tissue that repairs cuts and abrasions. The dermis nourishes the epidermis and contains the nerve endings and blood vessels. The base of the hair is located in the dermis.

The hypodermis is the deepest and thickest part of the skin. The role of the hypodermis is to store energy reserves, through the cells called adipocytes that constitute it. When needed, these fat reserves are released by the adipocytes via the venous route and are transformed into energy.