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Alien skin, 2374

Skin eviscerated by Hirogen hunters

Digger skins

Skins of Diggers on Terra Nova

Skin was the external covering of a lifeform, consisting of a membranous tissue made up of skin cells, composed of two membranes, the upper of which was known as the epidermis or epidermal tissue. Skin was the largest bodily organ found on humanoids. The study of skin – in terms of its structure, function, and skin-related diseases – was known as dermatology. Parts of the body which were in direct connection with skin were hair and the nervous system.

Skin color is often a distinguishable trait between different alien species and has been the focal point of slang terms, such as pink skin or "monotone", to more extreme xenophobic actions, such as war; one such skin-color-driven war destroyed the population of Cheron. (TOS: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"; ENT: "The Andorian Incident", et al)

The skins (aka hides) of some animals were used to make clothing, such as the skins of the Diggers on Terra Nova. (ENT: "Terra Nova") Cow skin was also called leather.

In 2267, Spock reported to Captain James T. Kirk, while Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and Yeoman Tonia Barrows were also present, that the face of a Black Knight which essentially seemed to be a dummy wasn't Human skin tissue, since the knight was actually a robot. (TOS: "Shore Leave")

M-113 creature mount

The stuffed skin of an M-113 creature

Later that year, a landing party from the USS Enterprise was surprised to see the skin of a stuffed M-113 creature on Gothos. Trelane subsequently destroyed it. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

In 2370, Talur noted that Data's skin was clammy. She attributed his strange skin coloration to exposure to cold temperatures in the Vellorian Mountains. Later, Data took skin samples from Gia and Garvin to determine the cause of the Barkon IV villagers' mysterious illness. (TNG: "Thine Own Self")

Historically on Earth, skin tones were often used to justify many heinous acts and prejudice, such as the problems of racism encountered by Benny Russell in the 1950s. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")

In 2369, the Ferengi bartender Quark noted that Chief Miles O'Brien's face got very pink when he was aggravated, much more so than most other Humans. (DS9: "Captive Pursuit")

Data's skin

Skin placed on Data's arm by the Borg

A modification of the skin was the addition of tattoos, like one sported by Chakotay on the left part of his face. (Star Trek: Voyager)

After traveling back in time to the year 2063, the Borg Queen grafted skin onto Data's android frame in an attempt to make him more susceptible to the Borg Collective's seduction. (Star Trek: First Contact)

According to a deleted scene from TOS: "The Menagerie, Part II", Vulcan skin carried copper salts in the form of perspiration. [1]

Artificial skin[]

Skin measurements[]

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