.....for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Psalm 139:14
 |
| Computer model showing the structure of keratin filaments in dry skin (left) and wet skin (right). |
"You know how your fingers wrinkle up in the bath? The outer layer of your skin absorbs water and swells up, forming ridges -- but quickly returns to its old state when dry. Physicists have shown just why skin has this remarkable ability.The swelling and absorption of water occur in the outermost skin layer, which is made of dead cells that are stacked in layers like bricks. These cells are filled with a network of filaments made of the protein keratin. These keratin strands interlock to form a three-dimensional lattice -- which can increase its volume by five times when the strands stretch out.
The researchers conclude that the keratin filaments' geometry must be crucial to skin's response to water because it keeps the system in an energy range that enables but also curbs expansion." ScienceDaily