elddiReMsihT
Registered Member
Kind of random, but I was just wondering. If our skin was transparent, what biological effects would that have upon us? Just increased sensitivity to sunlight, or would there be other problems?
Completely hypothetical, "What if?"
- Thread starter elddiReMsihT
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If our skin was transparent then I think we would have evolved that way with all the proper built in safeguards.
Ah, then maybe he should have asked what if our skin was transparent, and we evolved to compensate, so that no noticeable changes occurred?
elddiReMsihT
Registered Member
Alright. I guess I should have asked, what if one person had a mutation that caused this to happen? What would this one person's health be like? Because I'm really just curious as to what would happen if this were the only trait that was changed.
Their general health wouldn't be any different from that of the general population. They would probably have to limit their exposure to the sun, just as people with very fair skin already do.
Not a doctor but if your skin was transparent then would that mean your blood is transparent? If not then I guess you will appear red in color.
thatbiogeek
Registered Member
Mmmm... I think you could have transparent skin and normal blood. It would just mean that you could see all the capillaries and vessels carrying the blood.
As for the effects of the mutation, it would definitely render them sexually undesirable. So, negative selection there LOL
On a related note, there are some plant species with transparent stem epidermis sections. This allows extra light to penetrate the stems and increases photosynthetic capacity. Many of these plants have no leaves and so have very little surface area, having little "windows" in the epidermis is a great adaption to succulence. String of Pearls (Senecio) is a great example of this. And it makes such a cute house plant
I love succulents...
PreverseBeing
Registered Member
internal sunburn... maybe?
thatbiogeek
Registered Member
Yeah, there would definitely be problems with UV damage. I suspect that's why succulent plants with epidermal windows have only small openings- to mitigate UV damage.
alaska1976
Registered Member
Consider their are fish that have this transparancy and swim near sunlight though most is deflected by the surface. Other parts of the sun rays do proceed through and the fish have adapted to these certain rays.
I suppose with time a hew human species with transparent skin could adapt to the sun but it may not be fun in the 'inbetween' phases.
I suppose with time a hew human species with transparent skin could adapt to the sun but it may not be fun in the 'inbetween' phases.
I really don't want to walk around looking like this!
alaska1976
Registered Member
An excellent response Cosmic. Kinda be tough to kiss seeing all that under the skin...yeuch....
I really don't want to walk around looking like this!
elddiReMsihT
Registered Member
D: Eek.
How accurate is that picture? I was imagining that you would see much more blood vessel and much less muscle.
Pandaemoni
Valued Senior Member
If our skin were transparent than early man would likely have discovered the role of organs in the body sooner (across the world and not just in Greece) and medieval taboos on dissection would have been less likely to develop. Medical science might be very much further along than it presently is.
Pandaemoni
Valued Senior Member
Were our skin transparent you would have evolved/learned different standards of beauty.
Perhaps we would all live in subterranean cities and caves. Perhaps we would also lose our sense of sight and develop some kind of other sensing mechanism which doesn't require light.