The Human Body's Non Specific Defence.

... The Human Body's Non Specific Defence The skin The skin, in terms of surface area covered, is the largest organ of the body. It is the organ we see first (and indeed one of the few organs we can actually see when looking at a naked human body) and is of great importance in the defence of the body and thus in the delivery of nursing care. Further, since it reflects physiological and pathological changes in other areas of the body, skin changes can be used to aid both nursing and medical diagnosis. Another name for the skin is the integument (Latin integrere to cover over, protect) -The Longman Dictionary of the English Language (1984) defines integument as 'skin, membrane or husk'. Another term sometimes used for the superficial skin is the cuticle; hence the use of the word cutaneous, meaning pertaining to the skin. Just as the husk on

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