eli5: Do we actually start to get cooked when we get third degree burns?

Question

No cannibalism intended lol. Completely out of curiosity.

In: 41

Answer 1

The degree of a burn is about how deep the damage goes. A first degree burn only damages the outer layer of the skin, a second degree burn damages the outer layer and inner layer, and a third degree burn damages or destroys the outer and inner layers, and tissue lower down such as muscle and nerve connections. The classification is useful for determining treatment. You can read a bit more about this here: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/skin-hair-and-nails/burns/stages.html

Typically when you cook meat, you heat skin and muscle (steak, bacon, spare-ribs, chicken wings etc). So from that view a burn does partially cook you.