Tübingen and Erlangen physicists model complex skin
structure as it changes from wet to dry
You know how your fingers wrinkle up in the bath? The outer
layer of your skin absorbs water and swells up, forming ridges – but quickly
returns to its old state when dry. Two physicists, Professor Roland Roth of
Tübingen University and Dr. Myfanwy Evans at Erlangen University have shown
just why skin has this remarkable ability. Their conclusions were published
recently in the journal Physical Review Letters.
The swelling and absorption of water occur in the outermost
skin layer, which is made of dead cells that are stacked in layers like bricks.
These cells are filled with a network of filaments made of the protein keratin.
These keratin strands interlock to form a three-dimensional lattice – which can
increase its volume by five times when the strands stretch out.