外界と生体の動的インターフェースとしての皮膚の役割

抄録

The skin which is located at the surface of our body is not only a sensory organ but also a defensive organ. We are able to be perceptible for environmental stimuli such as dryness, temperature and even solar lights, through the skin and to protect our body against invaders, such as chemicals and microorganisms by the skin. Defenses by the skin are divided into two types, one is physical defense and another is a physiological one. The physical defense which is called as the physical barrier function is realized by corneocytes, intercellular lipid lamellar structure, tight junction and so on. On the other hands, physiological defense is constructed by collaboration of langerhans cells, antimicrobial peptides and physical barrier functions. The article introduces the skin functions adapting against environmental stimuli.