If information presented here seems pertinent to your situation, please seek help from a qualified health care professional near you. May Result Identifying internal signals that direct the tireless turnover of skin cells is the goal of a Medical College of Georgia researcher who says the search may lead to better treatments for abnormal cell growth that results in psoriasis and common skin cancers. The skin has multiple layers and the body constantly replenishes cells that naturally work their way up through those layers and eventually slough off, said Dr. Wendy B. Bollag, cell physiologist in the MCG Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. Pieces to this dynamic puzzle responsible for maintaining the body s largest organ are known, but Dr. Bollag says how the pieces fit together or what the final picture looks like remains unknown. The goal of this endless skin cell production is to replace the epidermis, the outer skin layer, which turns over about every one to two months.
Cells move upward through the layers reaching toward the surface, maturing as they go.
The changing location and function results in what Dr. Bollag compares to the construction of a brick and mortar house. Ultimately the skin provides a mechanical barrier to shield the body from microorganisms and other invaders, such as water when showering or swimming. Conversely it also helps keep water that s inside the body where it belongs. To get the job done, dynamic skin cells, called keratinocytes, must know how to make keratin, which is like a steel cable going through the cells. They must also make structural proteins and enzymes that keep the skin from dissolving in detergents and fats to help with water impermeability.