Integumentary System Research Paper

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Our vertebrate integumentary system performs many functions within the various layers and tissues of the skin. These tasks help protect the skin from all sorts of dangers. One such thing our skin protects us from is ultraviolet radiation. Our skin, when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, can change its coloring. This process is what happens when an individual gets tan or sunburned. Melanin a unique pigment that darkens our skin when exposed to sunlight protects our skin from radiation that is found in these ultraviolet rays. It surrounds the nucleus acting as a barrier that protects our DNA from ultraviolet radiation that could cause cancer or DNA complications. Another function that the integumentary system performs is thermoregulation

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