Question

On the first day after arriving in Australia for Christmas vacation, a University of Niagara student plays out in the sun for six hours. Later that night he notices that the skin on his trunk, legs and arms becomes red, swollen and extremely painful. By morning all of the afflicted areas have developed numerous blisters. These areas cover about 30% of the trunk (front and back) and 40% of the arms and legs.

11. List all of the body functions that may be disrupted by such a burn.

12. After a few days the skin peels and the burned areas begin to heal. The student notices that the healing areas are more susceptible to injuries due to chafing or trauma. What has happened to the skin that would cause this increased susceptibility?

Answer 1

1. the given scenario describes about the development of sun burns .he played contiously 6 hr under direct sunlight , and the UV rays insunlight has property for damaging the skin, which presents as small rashes , pain... most of the sunburns are superficial or first degree burns , which involves only the epidermis. mainly affects people with fair skin . this superficial burns will heal without any specific managmemt within one to two week.

here the epidermis is peeled of from underlying dermis , this type burns can affects those functions normaly done by our epidermis such as

• protecting against water loss - so dehydration occur in burns
• physical barrier , the epidermal keratinocytes are tightly linked with cell- cell junctions,   giving its mechanical strength
• chemical barrier- lipids , acids , hydrolytic enzymes , antimicrobial peptides.. inhibit passage of external chemicals and pathogens into body
• immunologicaly active barrier -humoral and cellular constituents of immune system combact infection
• an acidic ph and low amounts of water can make epidermis hostile to many pathogens.
• non pathogenic organism on the surfuce of epidermis defend against pathogens by competing for foods , secreting chemicals ..
• sebum and sweat production by epidermal sebaceous and sweat glands.
• there is activation of immune system and production of more white blood cells to recruite towards the burned area to compact infection
• the pain fibres and other receptors are damaged,   

2. the superficial burns will heal easily and within days like one to two week,

during healing process ,it involves multiple cell types around the injured zone like more white blood cells , platlets .. . after some days of healing the burned area starts to produce new small blood vessels(neovascularisation) with the help of some vascular growth factors, these new blood vessels lack the smooth muscle layer seen in normal blood vessels, it will develop later only . so that any small trauma will leads to damages of these tiny blood vessels and bleeding , as the normal vasoconstriction mechansism for stoppage of bleeding is not happening here.