Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
09:25
Agarose-based Tissue Mimicking Optical Phantoms for Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy
Published on: August 22, 2018
Optical properties of human skin.
Tom Lister1, Philip A Wright, Paul H Chappell
1Wessex Specialist Laser Centre, Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, SP2 8BJ, United Kingdom. tom.lister@soton.ac.uk
Journal of Biomedical Optics
|October 23, 2012
Summary
This study analyzes human skin
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Medical Physics
- Dermatology
Background:
- Understanding skin optics is crucial for medical applications.
- Light interaction with skin is often modeled using radiative transfer theory (RTT).
- Accurate optical properties are needed for developing light-based medical technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey and analyze the optical properties of human skin.
- To critically evaluate published radiative transfer theory (RTT) coefficients for skin.
- To identify discrepancies and causes in existing skin optics data.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of published optical properties.
- Examination of radiative transfer theory (RTT) coefficients (absorption, scattering, phase function, refractive index).
- Comparison of in vitro and in vivo experimental data.
Main Results:
- Significant discrepancies exist in reported skin absorption and reduced-scattering coefficients.
- Variations are observed between in vitro and in vivo measurements.
- Current phase functions, anisotropy factors, and refractive indices also show variability.
Conclusions:
- There is a need for standardized methods to measure skin optical properties.
- Further research is required to establish reliable optical coefficient ranges for normal human skin.
- Accurate optical models are essential for advancing medical applications of light-based therapies.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
The first thing a clinician sees is the skin, so the examination of the skin should be part of any thorough physical examination. Most skin disorders are relatively benign, but a few, including melanomas, can be fatal if untreated. A couple of the more noticeable disorders, albinism and vitiligo, affect the appearance of the skin and its accessory organs.
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
01:19Pigmentation
The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
01:16Sensory Functions of the Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
01:23Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The skin plays a crucial role in the synthesis of vitamin D, a vital nutrient for various physiological processes in the body. Vitamin D is unique because it can be synthesized in the skin through a series of chemical reactions triggered by exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight.
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin D3(cholecalciferol).
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin D3(cholecalciferol).
02:24Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity
It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...