Mark Mouser, age 10, of Catasaugua, Pa., for his question: 

WHY DO OLD PEOPLE GET WRINKLES?

Wrinkles in older people are caused by the slow process of wasting, and also as a result of the great elasticity of the outer layer of skin.

A person's skin is made up of a number of layers. The under layers are fatty and rather thick with the outer layers much thinner and more elastic. As the thin outer layer stretches tightly over the muscles of the face, they often stretch too much and then fall into folds or wrinkles. Often it also means that too much fat has disappeared from the under layer of the skin so that the outer layer is too loose for the body and it falls into wrinkles.  In some cases of very old people, the skin becomes so thin that the wrinkles disappear.