Largest Organ in the Body

We all know that a human body has many different organs with varying functions. Even though, most of us have an overall idea about the organs of human body, we may not know the right answer for the question - which is the largest organ in the body? You may think it's the liver, large intestine or brain. Then, you are wrong.

Which is the Largest Organ in the Human Body

The human body houses many different organs of different shapes, sizes and functions. If you compare these, skin is the largest one. Most of us may not even consider skin as an organ of the human body. It is the skin that covers the whole body and holds the internal organs of the human body in place. Apart from that, skin protects the body, regulates body temperature and facilitates the sensation of touch. In case of an average adult human being, skin covers a surface area of around two square meters. The thickness of the skin varies with location. On the eyelids, skin has a thickness of around 0.5 mm and when it comes to the palms of hands and soles of feet, the thickness is around 4 mm.

It is said that skin weighs around 16% of the total body weight of a human being. In short, skin is the largest organ of the human body and performs many important functions for the proper functioning of the body. It is made of three layers and is elastic and sensitive in nature. The following paragraphs deal with more information about skin, which is the most important part of the integumentary system.

Structure and Functions of the Largest Organ in the Body

Skin consists of three main layers - epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The outermost layer is the epidermis, which forms the waterproof layer on the surface of the body. It has no blood cells, but are nourished by the blood vessels beneath it, through the process of diffusion. This layer of the skin is keratinized and so, prevents water loss through it and also protects the body by forming a barrier to pathogens. Beneath the epidermis, you can find dermis, which is mainly made of connective tissue that acts like a cushion to protect the body from stress and strain. This layer of the skin houses nerve endings, which is responsible for the sensation of touch and temperature variations. Apart from that dermis has sweat glands, hair follicles, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and apocrine glands. It is the basement membrane that connects the dermis with the epidermis.

The deepest layer of the skin, called hypodermis, is actually not a part of the largest organ in the body. Hypodermis serves the function of attaching the skin to the muscles and bones. and also supplies blood vessels and nerves to the skin. This subcutaneous fat layer acts as an insulation for the body. As mentioned above, skin has various important functions and the most prominent among them is the protection of the body from disease causing pathogens. The skin also helps in regulating the body temperature. The nerve endings inside the skin helps us in experiencing sensations of touch, pressure, heat and cold, vibration and injury. Skin prevents fluid loss from the body. It also helps in the absorption of small amounts of oxygen and nitrogen. It also stores water and lipids.

The second largest organ in the human body is the liver, which is also the largest internal organ.