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The skin The skin is the largest organ of the body. The skin, including nails, hair, and sweat glands, is sometimes called the integumentary system. If the skin of a 150-pound (68-kilogram) person were spread out flat, it would cover approximately 20 square feet (1.9 square meters). Skin has two layers: the epidermis and the dermis. Subcutaneous tissue provide protection for the skin. The epidermis forms the outermost layer of the skin. It serves as a barrier …

…on the skin surface. As the sweat evaporates from the surface, it cools the body. The dermis also serves as an important sense organ. Nerve endings within the dermis respond to cold, heat, pain, pressure, and touch. Subcutaneous tissues lie directly beneath the skin. They provide extra fuel for the body. The fuel is stored in fat cells. Subcutaneous tissues also help retain body heat and cushion the inner tissues against blows to the body.