Abstract
Summary
Total water, nitrogen, collagen nitrogen, and electrolyte concentrations were determined in human skin which was removed at once from amputated parts during the course of surgery. The total skin (corium plus epidermis) gave the mean average results which are expressed as units per kilo of fat-free skin: total water, 717.7 ± 20.1 g; chloride, 79.9 ± 4.8 mM; sodium, 93.0 ± 8.0 mM; potassium, 16.47 ± 3.36 mM; calcium, 2.68 ± 0.52 mM; magnesium, 2.13 ± 0.30 mM; total nitrogen, 45.5 ± 3.8 g; and collagen nitrogen, 33.7 ± 4.5 g.
By applying methods now accepted as valid for calculating the weight of connective tissue in a tissue, the weight of connective tissue in human skin was estimated to be 546 ± 73 g per kilo of fat-free skin. The calculated 330 ± 45 g of water identified with this amount of connective tissue demonstrates that the volume of available water is considerably larger in skin than in any other tissue of the body. The skin may be regarded as one of the most important water-storage organs of the body.
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