New York State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a function of the skin?

1. Sensory reception

2. Temperature regulation

3. Metabolic coordination

4. Pressure and pain perception

The correct answer is: Metabolic coordination

The skin serves multiple essential functions, but metabolic coordination is not one of them. The primary roles of the skin include sensory reception, which allows the body to respond to various stimuli such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain; temperature regulation, achieved through mechanisms like perspiration and blood vessel dilation or constriction to help maintain a stable body temperature; and pressure and pain perception, which are critical for responding to environmental hazards. Metabolic functions of the body, such as coordinating metabolism, primarily occur within organs like the liver or muscles, not through the skin itself. While the skin can play a role in the synthesis of vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, this is not considered metabolic coordination in the same sense as functions carried out by internal organs. Therefore, the correct choice clearly identifies a function that does not align with the established responsibilities of the skin.