Question

Why is skin called ‘the jack of all trades’?

Answer 1

Hint: Skin is a primary organ of our body. It helps in various significant body functions such as protection, temperature regulation and excretion.

Complete answer:
Integument or simply skin is the outermost covering of the body. It is the first organ of the body that is visible and helps us in identification of the type of organism. Although it looks simple in appearance, skin is a complex organ that performs many functions in the body.
Functions of the skin:
Functions of skin fall under three major categories that are outlined below:
Protection: Skin protects the various organs of the body that lie beneath it. It prevents mechanical injury to the organs. It checks the excessive moisture loss from the body through evaporation. It also serves as a barrier to the harmful UV rays of the sun, to pathogens and other harmful microorganisms.
Temperature regulation: The immense blood supply of skin helps regulate temperature. Sweating is one mechanism that keeps the body cool in hot summer months. The skin also assists in homoeostasis.
As a sense organ: The skin is the sense organ for touch and pressure. It contains many sensory neurons which are sensitive to touch, temperature and pressure (pain). These neurons send messages of the changes in the surroundings to the brain which instructs the effector organs to act accordingly.
Besides this, the skin also plays a major role in the synthesis of vitamin D in the presence of sunlight and helps the process of excretion by eliminating excess water and salts in the form of sweat.
 As described above, No other body organ performs as many functions as the skin, and hence skin is sometimes termed as “The jack of all trades”.

Note: The skin is the largest organ of the body having a total area of about 20 square feets. It covers the entire body. It serves as a protective shield against light, heat, injury, and infection.