Abstract
The strategic location of the skin as the barrier between the environment and internal milieu determines its critical function in the preservation of body homeostasis, and ultimately organism survival (Slominski 2005; Slominski and Wortsman 2000; Slominski et al. 2000c; Zmijewski and Slominski 2011). It also exposes skin to numerous pathological agents, processes, and events. Thus, the capability to locally recognize, discriminate, and integrate various signals within a highly heterogeneous environment, and to immediately launch appropriate responses, is a vital property of skin (Slominski and Wortsman 2000). These skin functions are integrated into the skin immune, pigmentary, epidermal, and adnexal systems, and are in continuous communication with the systemic immune, neural, and endocrine systems (Arck et al. 2006; Slominski 2009c; Slominski and Wortsman 2000; Slominski et al. 2004c, 2007a; Stenn and Paus 2001).
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Slominski, A.T., Zmijewski, M.A., Skobowiat, C., Zbytek, B., Slominski, R.M., Steketee, J.D. (2012). Introduction. In: Sensing the Environment: Regulation of Local and Global Homeostasis by the Skin's Neuroendocrine System. Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, vol 212. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19683-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19683-6_1
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