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Why do we itch? - Emma Bryce

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12,601 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

The average person experiences dozens of individual itches each day. We’ve all experienced the annoyance of an inconvenient itch — but have you ever pondered why we itch in the first place? Is there actually an evolutionary purpose to the itch, or is it simply there to annoy us? Emma Bryce digs deep into the skin to find out.

True or false: Sometimes itch signals can be misleading, making people feel sensations that don’t exist.

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emma Bryce
  • Director Sashko Danylenko
  • Animator Sashko Danylenko
  • Storyboard Artist Sashko Danylenko
  • Character Designer Sashko Danylenko
  • Editor Kasia Zabavko
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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