Abstract
The skin is the main body barrier of vertebrates covering the entire body. Via the evolution, this outer layer underwent substantial changes; moreover, different structures and derivatives were developed as a consequence of adaption to the lifestyles of different animal species. In general, the skin is the largest organ and the first barrier, therefore being important to interfacing with the environment and protecting the body against heat, dehydration, light, injury, and infections. For these functions also several substances are secreted, like salts or different organic molecules.
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Further Reading
Bukowskiy LF (ed) (2010) Skin anatomy and physiology research developments. Human anatomy and physiology, 1st edn. Nova Science Publishers, New York, 30 April 2010, ISBN-10: 1607414694
Lindberg M, Forslind B, Forslind F (eds) Skin, hair, and nails: structure and function. Basic and clinical dermatology. Informa Healthcare, New York, Sept 2003, ISBN-10: 082474313X
Millington PF, Wilkinson R (2009) Skin. Biological structure and function books, 1 reissue. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1 June 2009, ISBN-10: 0521106818
Acknowledgment
We would like to thank Prof. Erika Jensen-Jarolim, and crossip communications, Vienna, for kind support in the arrangement of illustrations. The work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF grant SFB F4606-B19.
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Wien
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Panakova, L., Szalai, K. (2014). Surface, Barrier, and Interface Zone: Comparative Aspects of the Skin. In: Jensen-Jarolim, E. (eds) Comparative Medicine. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1559-6_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1559-6_7
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Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-1559-6
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