The skin of the desert lark protects from water loss via a ceramide-rich lipid ratio.

“Adjustments of lipid ratios to favor ceramides over free fatty acids and sterols have also been shown to correlate with reductions of TEWL [transepidermal water loss] in desert larks (Haugen et al., 2003a,b). The comparatively higher ratios of ceramides in stratum corneum allow the lipid lamellae of the permeability barrier to exist in a more highly ordered crystalline phase, which creates a tighter barrier to water vapor diffusion (Velkova and Lafleur, 2002; Bouwstra et al., 2003b).” (Lillywhite 2006:218)

Last Updated August 18, 2016