Educator Resources
Overview
This interactive exploration of the animation How We Get Our Skin Color contains five automatic pause points, during which students access modules with additional information in the form of text, illustrations, videos, and questions. Descriptions of each module are as follows:
- What Is Skin? introduces the three main skin layers (epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis) and their functions. It highlights one function of the epidermis: the synthesis of vitamin D, which requires ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- What Are Skin Cells? focuses on the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin. It introduces two cell types in the epidermis, keratinocytes and melanocytes, and discusses why humans evolved to lose most of their body hair.
- What Is Melanin shows how melanocytes produce the pigment melanin. It also explains how the gene MC1R affects melanin production, which in turn impacts skin color.
- How Does Melanin Protect Cells? shows how melanin is transported to keratinocytes, where it protects skin from UV radiation. It also discusses the harmful effects of UV radiation, including DNA damage and folate deficiency.
- How Does Sunlight Cause Tanning? explores the different types of UV radiation and how they affect melanin production. It also discusses how skin can tan in response to UV radiation.
Additional information related to pedagogy and implementation can be found on this resource’s webpage, including suggested audience, estimated time, and curriculum connections.
Key Concepts
- Skin is made up of multiple layers and cell types with specialized functions.
- Variations in genes can lead to variations in biological traits, such as skin color.
- Global variations in human skin color were driven by evolutionary trade-offs between the beneficial and harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Student Learning Targets
- Explain how the structure of human skin is related to its function.
- Discuss the selective pressures and trade-offs involved in the evolution of human skin color.