Burned on Stove Biology Scenario:

¶ … Burned on Stove

BIOLOGY SCENARIO: HAND BURNED ON HOT STOVE

The scenario given is a hand burned on a hot stove as relating to the nervous system, muscle and skeletal systems and the skin. Nervous responses and associated system interactions will be explained.

SCENARIO

You have just placed your hand on a hot surface (for example a stove top).this work will tell a story that illustrates how the heat if felt, the movement of the hand from the heat and then the checking of the hand for injury.

OVERVIEW OF BURNS AS PER MEDICAL CLASSIFICATION

Even brief heat applied to the skin of more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit will cause damage to the cells in the human skin. First degree burns are exhibited by the skin becoming red however, only the epidermis, or the top layer of the skin is affected and will quickly heal with some skill peeling. One type of such burn is a sun burn. The Second degree burns cause deeper damage to the skill with blisters and dermis will generally recover without scarring.

In the case of a third degree burn the full layers of skin are affected and will appear white or charred and very deep burns will leave bones and muscles exposed needing specialized treatment and possibly grafting of skin to prevent scarring. These are the three burn types that might be dealt with in this scenario however only in some extreme accidental hand on the stove scenario would a third degree or even second degree burn be applicable.

I. THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SKIN

Gaining a comprehension of the anatomy and physiology of the skin is required. The skin is "a bilayer organ with many protection functions essential for survival. The outer epidermal layer provides critical barrier functions and is composed of an outer layer of dead cells and keratin, which present a barrier to bacterial and environmental toxins. The basal epidermal cells supply the source of new epidermal cells. The undulating surface of the epidermis, called rete pegs, increases adherence of the epidermis to the dermis via the basement membrane." (Desanti, 2005) The illustration below in Figure One displays the functions of the skin or the skin's anatomy.

SKIN'S ANATOMY AND FUNCTION

Source: Desanti (2005)

II. THE EPIDERMIS AND DERMIS

The following lists the protection factors of the skin layers:

Epidermis - Protection from desiccation; bacterial entry, toxins, as well as fluid balance (prevents excess evaporative loss; Neurosensory; and Social-Interactive. (Ibid); and Dermis - Protection from trauma (due to elasticity and durability properties of the dermis); Fluid balance through regulation of skin blood flow; Thermoregulation through control of skin blood flow; Growth factors for epidermal replication and dermal repair. (Ibid)

III. SKIN HOT AND COLD RECEPTORS

In the case where the individual lays their hand upon a hot stove eye the instantaneous reaction of the individual's hand is to recoil from the heat. The skin has built in sensors to warn when something in contact with the skin is either too hot or too cold. Upon the hand having contacted the stove eye that is 'too hot' the hand is drawn back by the individual. According to the work of Hancock (1995): "The human hand contains about 100,000 nerves, of at least 20 different kinds. Twelve receive various touch sensations, eight are motor fibers carrying commands from the spine; and all are specialists -- . In reporting joint and muscle activity, for instance. Or pressure. Or temperature (hot and cold, separately). Or vibration (both high- and low-frequency)." (Hancock, 1995) All over the surface f the skin are receptors that report warmth and there are others that report cold. Several types of nerves exist that have the ability to sense "cold, warmth pressure, pain, and more. The nerves that sense and transmit pain are called nociceptors. Nociceptors transmit electrical signals to your spinal column. In the spinal cord, electrical pain signals causes a release of chemicals which are called neurotransmitters, which activate other nerve cells that process and transmit the information to the brain. Important decisions occur in the spinal column: Acute pain like that from touching a hot surface raises a red flag and is routed to the brain immediately.. "The larger fibers convey electrical impulses very rapidly to the brain, and are thought to cause sharp pricking pain, while the very fine fibers cause ongoing burning, very unpleasant sometimes called 'unbearable' pain" because of its persistence." (Hancock, 1995)

Pain signals are process in the brain's thalamus, a sort of switching station. The thalamus forwards the message to three places:

1) Somatosensory cortex (physical sensation);

2) Limbic system (emotional feeling); and 3) Frontal cortex (limbic system) (Hancock, 1995)

The following figure is a flowchart demonstrating the processes of the body and brain at work at the time of a burn.