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Two Recent Discoveries Change What We Thought We Knew About Skin
Including a new organ
I always find it interesting to reflect on the moments that stick with us. Especially when the memories seem to come out of nowhere. For instance, earlier today, I was applying some lotion to my hands, and it made me think back to my massage school days when I learned about skin.
Until then, skin wasn’t something I ever thought about. But as a licensed massage therapist, learning about skin is just as crucial as learning about our muscles. What I learned about skin surprised me more than almost anything else I learned about the body during that time. So, I decided to see if we’ve learned anything new since my massage therapy days. Guess what, we have!
Our Skin Cells Talk to Each Other
Let’s begin with this exciting discovery. Have you ever heard of quorum sensing? It was first discovered in bioluminescent bacteria in the 1960s. Simply put, it’s the name of the chemical communication bacteria use. It’s thought bees and ants use it too.
See, single-celled bacteria emit a chemical that other bacteria can sense when they’re nearby. If there are only a few bacteria in the area, nothing much happens. But when there’s a crowd, they gather to coordinate an action — like forming an…
