Section I - Organization and Dimensions of the Skin.- 1 Skin under the microscope: the organization, kinetics and dimensions of skin.- 2 Epidermal dimensions at the ultrastructural level.- 3 Surface contour: variability, significance and measurement.- 4 Skin imaging - a comparison of available techniques.- 5 Making sense of numbers from the skin.- Section II - Barrier Properties of the Skin.- 6 The skin as an immunological barrier.- 7 The skin as a microbial barrier.- 8 Do we need an artificial skin?.- 9 The skin as a chemical barrier.- Section III - Interfacial Interactions.- 10 A critical review of percutaneous penetration studies.- 11 Percutaneous absorption: transdermal drug delivery systems.- 12 Interaction of stratum corneum with water vapour.- Section IV - Channels of Communication in Skin.- 13 Measurement of cutaneous blood flow.- 14 The structure and pathophysiology of skin lymphatics.- 15 The physical basis for cutaneous sensation.- Section V - Mechanical Properties.- 16 The physical properties and function of nails.- 17 Mechanical properties of stratum corneum: influence of water and lipids.- 18 The architectural organization and function of the macromolecules in the dermis.- Section VI - Physical Properties.- 19 Optical properties of skin: measurement of erythema.- 20 The thermal properties of skin.- 21 The acoustic properties of the epidermis and stratum corneum.- 22 The electrical properties of skin.