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Frank_Baker Frank_Baker
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9 years ago Edited: 9 years ago, Frank_Baker
I am aware of the Goldfinger movie and I know it is fiction, but there have apparently been real-life cases where covering the skin has resulted in suffocation. There are at least 2 cases of people dying of suffocation, when the skin was completely covered with an air-tight substance. I read about one of those cases through a school text book which involved a 19th century woman who painted every inch of her skin gold, and she ended up dying through skin suffocation. Another case involved a boy who was painted for a circus act, dying in the same way through suffocation.

I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores).
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wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago
I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores).

Do you have scientific evidence for that?
Frank_Baker Author
wrote...
9 years ago
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494481
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago
Quote
The present study tests the hypothesis that skin on the plantar surface of the foot absorbs oxygen (O(2)) when immersed in water that has a high dissolved O(2) content.

Quote
We estimate that skin absorbs 4.5 mL of O(2)·m(-2)·min(-1) from O(2)-infused water. Thus, skin absorbs appreciable amounts of O(2) from O(2)-infused water.

Those are not normal conditions, so that doesn't provide proof to what you stated earlier: I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores).
Frank_Baker Author
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9 years ago Edited: 9 years ago, Frank_Baker
What I meant to say was skin DOES take in oxygen.
People HAVE died of suffocation from having their skin covered up. It said so it a school text book. Obviously this means skin O2 absorption pails in comparison to O2 absorbed by the lungs because people suffocate if their skin is covered up even if their airways are working.
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Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago Edited: 9 years ago, bio_man
What I meant to say was skin DOES take in oxygen.

No - you we suggesting that it exchanged oxygen for CO2, which isn't true.

People HAVE died of suffocation from having their skin covered up.

People suffocate from heatstroke. Same reason why dolphins can't survive on land - their skin is too thick and so they die of heat.
Frank_Baker Author
wrote...
9 years ago
What I am saying is there are cases in school textbooks of people dying of *suffocation* after being covered in airtight paint.

This would mean the skin is a very important organ for respiration.

Get it now?
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago
What I am saying is there are cases in school textbooks of people dying of *suffocation* after being covered in airtight paint.

Air tight paint? Possibly due to intoxication, poisonous fumes.

This would mean the skin is a very important organ for respiration.

Only if you believe Rightwards Arrow "I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores)."
Frank_Baker Author
wrote...
9 years ago Edited: 9 years ago, Frank_Baker
No, I believe that skin is more important for respiration than the lungs because 2 people died from suffocation after having their skin completely covered in an air tight substance.
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Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago
No, I believe that skin is more important for respiration than the lungs because 2 people died from suffocation after having their skin completely covered in an air tight substance.

Well then, do an experiment to see how many people will survive if you submerge them into water without an air supply to their lungs.
wrote...
9 years ago
I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible.
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
9 years ago
I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible.

What's the episode?
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Valued Member
On Hiatus
9 years ago
Quote
I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible.
Did they test it to themselves? Face with Stuck-out Tongue

Well, covering the skin is certainly not healthy. However, any health side-efects are rather irrelevant with the so-called "skin breathing". Health side effects might include hyperthermia, infections etc. Anyways, im pretty sure that the lack of oxygen on the skin by itself is incapable to cause any problems.
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9 years ago
I have to google it, I cant recall.
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