Your Tattoo is INSIDE Your Immune System. Literally
Tattoos and the Immune System
The video delves into the intricate relationship between tattoos and the immune system, exploring how the body reacts to tattoo ink and the processes involved in retaining a tattoo permanently.
Inside Your Skin
- The skin acts as a "Conveyor Belt of Death," constantly renewing itself.
- Skin cells move from inside to outside, forming a waterproof coat before drying out and merging into lumps.
Tattoo Process Begins
- New skin cells push older ones up, creating a barrier against external elements.
- Constant shedding of dead skin cells prevents anything from sticking around on tattooed areas.
Deeper Layers Revealed
- Beneath the surface lies the dermis with blood vessels, sensory cells, hair roots, and sweat glands.
- Tattooing involves penetrating deep into the dermis, causing wounds that trigger immune responses.
Immune Response to Tattoos
This section explores how the immune system reacts to tattoo ink intrusion and its efforts to protect the body from potential harm caused by foreign substances like tattoo ink particles.
Immune Activation
- Macrophages are activated to defend against invaders in open wounds caused by tattooing.
- Chemical flood in tissue triggers immune response with Macrophages attempting to engulf ink particles.
Ink Particle Challenge
- Ink particles are too large for Macrophages to eliminate effectively.
- Despite efforts, ink particles remain intact within skin cells due to their non-reactive nature.
Long-Term Effects of Tattoos
Examining how tattoos become permanent due to immune system actions and discussing potential consequences such as fading or spreading of tattoo ink over time.
Tattoo Permanence
- Macrophages hold ink in place within dermis, ensuring long-term visibility of tattoos.
- Over time, some ink may escape leading to faded edges or migration within the body.
Removal Challenges
- Laser removal heats up ink particles but risks damaging surrounding tissues including Macrophages.
Amazing Immune System and Scientific Knowledge
This section introduces the collaboration between Kurzgesagt and Brilliant to enhance scientific knowledge through interactive lessons.
Introduction to Lessons
- Interactive lessons are designed to delve deeper into various topics covered in popular videos, such as rabies, mammalian metabolism, climate science, and supernovae.
Understanding Language Models
- The course "How LLMs Work" by Brilliant explores language models like ChatGPT through interactive lessons on vocabulary building and word selection.
- It teaches how to adjust LLMs for desired tonality in outputs like poetry or cover letters by comparing models trained on Taylor Swift lyrics and Big Tech's Terms and Conditions.
Hands-On Learning Opportunity
- Viewers can access Kurzgesagt lessons and explore Brilliant's offerings with a free 30-day trial by signing up at Brilliant.org/nutshell.