ABSTRACT
Skin is the target organ of environmental agents. Through epidermal and dermal homeostasis, the cutaneous tegument has the main task of preserving our life. At least five fundamental skin roles can be defined: mechanical barrier function, melanogenesis, immunological barrier function, thermoregulation, and environmental perception. The epidermal and dermal binomiun is by itself a complex and complete immunological organ. The epidermal presence of specific specialized antigen-presenting cells, the Langerhans cells as well as local lymphocytes, join with the dermal presence of pluripotential cells, as mast cells, making the skin an immunologically very active organ. Skin is vital.
