Powerful and Strange Lipids at Work

Abstract

The skin is our largest organ and anatomically one of the most heterogeneous. Its presence and function are usually taken for granted, and few of us wonder why we are not dissolved and flushed down the drain when we take a shower. We tend to think of the skin as an organ that is inferior to other organs like the heart, the brain, and the liver. However, the skin is a remarkable organ whose unique barrier properties are largely determined by lipids. The skin provides us with the necessary protection against a hostile environment with hazardous chemicals, radiation, microbial attack, as well as mechanical stress. It is also instrumental for retaining the precious materials of our inside, not least water. Lipids like cholesterol, fatty acids, ceramides, and sphingolipids are essential for providing the skin with these unusual barrier properties.