Unvested Interest

Scott LaFee on Mar 27, 2024

Your skin is your largest organ, covering approximately 22 square feet laid out -- comparable to a twin-sized bed. It weighs about 9 pounds and varies in thickness, from 0.5 millimeters on the eyelids to 4 millimeters on the heels of your feet.

Thick or thin, skin is a marvel of construction, with three primary layers, top to bottom: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. These three layers are comprised of even more sublayers, such as stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis composed of dead tissue, and the reticular region that is part of the middle dermis. It's in the reticular region where tattoo ink settles, along with stretch marks from pregnancy and obesity.

Med School

Q: Why do veins look blue?

A: If you said it's because the blood within them is unoxygenated, take a breath. You're incorrect. The blue hue is a result of how skin scatters and absorbs light. Skin, especially in lighter-toned individuals, can absorb red and reflect blue and green wavelengths, giving veins the appearance of being blue.

Curtain Calls

In 2014, a 75-year-old woman in England ate a piece of toast and soon felt a sharp pain in her throat. She saw a doctor who could not determine the cause and simply sent her home. Several days later, with the pain persisting, the woman returned to the hospital but did not tell physicians that the pain was weeks old. They diagnosed an infection and prescribed antibiotics.

The next day, the woman began coughing blood and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A scan revealed that a sharp corner of toast had torn her esophagus, causing internal bleeding.

The woman had severe heart disease and doctors could not operate; she died a few days later.

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To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.