WEBVTT

00:04.904 --> 00:07.474 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Joan Cartan-Hansen, Host: Your
skin is your body's largest

00:07.474 --> 00:08.575 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
organ.

00:08.575 --> 00:11.144 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
An adult has about 21 square
feet of skin.

00:11.144 --> 00:14.047 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Combined, your skin weights
about nine pounds and has 11

00:14.047 --> 00:16.182 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
miles of blood vessels.

00:16.182 --> 00:18.818 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Every day you shed dead skin
cells.

00:18.818 --> 00:19.753 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
How many?

00:19.753 --> 00:22.655 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Well, you lose between 30
thousand and 40 thousand dead

00:22.655 --> 00:25.024 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
skin cells every minute of every
day.

00:25.024 --> 00:28.194 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
That adds up to nine pounds of
skin loss every year.

00:28.194 --> 00:30.930 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
But don't worry, your skin
constantly replaces itself.

00:30.930 --> 00:33.600 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
And it's melanin that gives your
skin its color.

00:33.600 --> 00:36.603 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
If your ancestors are from a
warmer part of the world, you

00:36.603 --> 00:39.372 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
are likely to produce more
melanin And have darker skin.

00:39.372 --> 00:42.008 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
If your ancestors are from a
colder part of the world, you

00:42.008 --> 00:44.377 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
probably produce less melanin
and have lighter skin.

00:44.377 --> 00:46.613 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Freckles are just dots of
melanin.

00:46.613 --> 00:49.149 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Melanin is also what gives you
your eye color.

00:49.149 --> 00:51.317 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
A little melanin means blue
eyes.

00:51.317 --> 00:53.987 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
Some melanin means green or
light brown eyes and lots of

00:53.987 --> 00:56.122 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
melanin results in dark brown
eyes.

00:56.122 --> 00:59.259 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
No matter its color, skin is
something we all have in common.

00:59.259 --> 01:01.728 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
For more information about skin,
check out the science trek

01:01.728 --> 01:02.562 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
website.

01:02.562 --> 01:03.563 align:left position:10% line:85% size:80%
You'll find it at science trek