FIND ARTICLE

Volume: 
Issue: 
4
Date of issue: 
The skin is a complex organ of human body, which plays an essential role, providing physical barrier against mechanical, chemical and biological factors and, through its pigments produced in melanocytes, provides defense system against UV radiation, and reduces the risk of UV-induced DNA damage in human epidermis. The skin is composed of three layers: epidermis and its derivatives, dermis, and hypodermis. The function of the skin, especially hair growth and activity of sebaceous glands, is regulated by sex steroids, and skin is the target organ for these hormones. All enzymes of steroidogenesis are present in the skin, which is also capable of de novo synthesis of androgens. Due to the activity of 5a-reductase and cytochrome P450 aromatase, testosterone can be metabolized into the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 17b-estradiol (E2), respectively. Therefore, mammalian skin can be regarded as peripheral endocrine organ.

The Editorial Board
Andrzej Łukaszyk - przewodniczący, Zofia Bielańska-Osuchowska, Szczepan Biliński, Mieczysław Chorąży, Aleksander Koj, Włodzimierz Korochoda, Leszek Kuźnicki, Aleksandra Stojałowska, Lech Wojtczak

Editorial address:
Katedra i Zakład Histologii i Embriologii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu, ul. Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, tel. +48 61 8546453, fax. +48 61 8546440, email: mnowicki@ump.edu.pl

PBK Postępby biologi komórki