Bill Nye: Itching - MSN Encarta

Hi Bill,
What's going on under our skin when we get an itch? And why does it feel so good to scratch it?
--Itching for an Answer

Dear Itching,

Ah, such a question; it's got two sides. What's more satisfying than scratching an itch? And then, what can drive you crazier than an itch that just won't go away? For a long time, itching was believed to be a kind of mild pain. Scientists say itching is affective, meaning that it causes a feeling; it leads to a behavior--namely, scratching! Billions of us, including everyone you've ever met, know what it is to scratch an itch. That makes this a big question in scope and a great one as well. But it is also a microscopic question, because itching starts at the very tiniest nerve endings in your skin.

When we get an itch, we get the urge to scratch, which in turn disturbs or removes skin cells. You can scratch with your fingernails or toenails. You can rub against a tree. When you can't reach, you can use a backscratcher, a tool found in cultures around the world. All of these behaviors remove some skin cells. Now, why would we want to do that?

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Taken From ---> MSN Encarta