Secrets of Skin Archives

Secrets of Skin episode 6 – Sensing

Science / 3 minutes of reading / June 11, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 6 – Sensing: Professor Ben Garrod explores how some snakes can see using heat, how crocodiles feel through their jaws and how some animals use electricity to navigate their world – and it is all only possible because of remarkable adaptations to their skin. Whether animals live on land, in the sea, or in subterranean communities, skin is critical in allowing them to sense the world around them, be it to find food, navigate harsh environments or avoid danger. Even the toughest of animals, crocodilians, have a surprisingly sensitive side when it comes to […]

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Secrets of Skin episode 5 – Defence

Nature / 3 minutes of reading / June 10, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 5 – Defence: What is the most toxic animal on earth? How are porcupine quills helping us in medicine? Why is a rhino armour plated, and it is not to protect them from lions? Professor Ben Garrod discovers the complex ways, from camouflage to deadly toxins, in which the skin helps defend animals against threats of all kinds. From the barbed quills of the North American porcupine to the battering ram of a rhino’s horn, the skin has developed an impressive armoury of weapons and warnings to keep predators at bay. With experiments and

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Secrets of Skin episode 4 – Communication

Science / 3 minutes of reading / June 9, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 4 – Communication: Why are male mandrill faces (big bold primates from West Africa) red and blue? How are birds’ feathers so colourful? What do ringtail lemurs do to talk to one another? Their skin holds the key. As Professor Ben Garrod explores how animals communicate with one another, he uncovers a myriad more wonderful ways. Skin has evolved in some remarkable ways to enable animals to communicate with each other, from vibrant displays of colour to skin pouches to amplify sound. Ben shows how animals have evolved to use skin to make themselves

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Secrets of Skin episode 3 – Protection

Science / 3 minutes of reading / June 9, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 3 – Protection: How does a giraffe stay cool? What are different porcupine quills teaching us about medicine? What makes some people more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than others? All the answers and more lie in the secrets of how skin protects us from a hostile world. When it comes to protecting our delicate insides, skin is like an external suit of armour. Animals have adapted ways of protecting themselves from everything a hostile planet has to throw at them. Hippos produce their own sunscreen to protect themselves against the dangers of

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Secrets of Skin episode 2 – Moving

Science / 3 minutes of reading / June 7, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 2 – Moving: What makes sharks built for speed? How do snakes move without limbs? How do sugar gliders fly without feathers? The answer all lies in their skin. Professor Ben Garrod uncovers the secrets of how skin has evolved to enable animals to solve some of the most remarkable challenges on Earth. To do this, Ben heads to the specialist flight centre at the Royal Veterinary College to analyse the way a sugar glider uses its skin flaps to stay aloft. He goes diving with sharks at the Blue Planet Aquarium and discovers

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Secrets of Skin episode 1 – Adaptability

Science / 3 minutes of reading / June 6, 2022 / By HDclump

Secrets of Skin episode 1 – Adaptability: Skin is an incredible, multi-function organ that science is still learning so much about. It has adapted to allow animals to conquer virtually every habitat on the planet. In this episode, Professor Ben Garrod reveals some ground-breaking new science and amazing, specialist, factual insight as he discovers how human skin is an ecosystem in its own right, playing host to demodex mites, that might redefine our understanding of human ancestry. He explores the new science that could pave the way for re-engineering human skin on amputations to make it more robust.

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