Nutrition 1: a vital consideration in the management of skin wounds.

Nutrition is a provocative subject in tissue repair, particularly in relation to the skin which consists of many different tissues fulfilling various essential functions. This article, the first in a two-part series, will discuss the structure of the human skin and its variations, with indications as to the individual requirements of the cells in fulfilling their normal role in skin physiology and in repair systems. Nutrient gradients seem to play a major role in normal skin physiology and repair systems following injury. The second part will discuss in more detail the importance of major nutrient factors and their inter-relationships in tissue repair. It is clear that much of our available knowledge is derived from experimental studies in animals. Their relevance in human wound healing may be equivocal as the human skin is unique in the animal kingdom.