I know how it happens, but is there a purpose for having tanned skin?
2007-08-26 10:06:07 · 11 answers · asked by vEngful.Gibb0n 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The skin is easily damaged by sunlight. A tan is natures method of limiting the damage. That's why people originating in hot countries have a ready made tan.
2007-08-26 10:13:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The skin contains a substance called melanin. The amount of melanin your body has determines the depth of natural tan youcan get.
The more melanin you have, the deeper your tan and your tolerance to the sun's rays is increased, hence, people in Africa have black skin, cos they are constantly in the sun, its an evolution thing.
People in Scotland have milk white skin and fair hair, because the climate is totally the reverse but even pale white skin contains an amount of melanin, just not as much therefore they burn more noticeably than a darker skinned person.
It is natures own sun-block.
2007-08-26 17:18:21 · answer #2 · answered by jennijan 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, we all need a certain amount of sun for our health - but a tanned skin is a sign of a burnt skin!
2007-08-26 17:12:23 · answer #3 · answered by Sal*UK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to help protect us from the damage the suns rays can cause!! the melanin in our skin reacts to the suns rays and causes the skin to darken, thus protecting us next time we go out in the sun...
related interesting fact is that people with freckles have uneven melanin distribution and if you look closely you will see they also have patches with no melanin that are white and will never tan!
2007-08-26 17:22:47 · answer #4 · answered by pooterpet 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A tan gives the impression of health when it's actually minor skin damage.
2007-08-26 17:10:44 · answer #5 · answered by Nexus6 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
to protect the body from the UV rays of the sun. tanned skin=more melanin. more melanin means more of the UV rays are not absorbed into the body.
2007-08-27 00:38:31 · answer #6 · answered by zeto 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The more sun your skin is exposed to, the more menalin pigment you produce. Darker skinned people don't tan as much as lighter skinned people because their menalin pigment level is substantially high already.
2007-08-26 17:13:26 · answer #7 · answered by dazzlex2000 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps because our skin is being damaged the UV radiation emitted by the sun!
It ain't healthy!! It's bad.
2007-08-26 17:22:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
yes ... because they were sitting under the lights of the sun :P
2007-08-26 17:10:41 · answer #9 · answered by Hamza. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So they can get a job in a hairdressers
2007-08-26 17:11:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋