= Skin graft
A \b[skin graft] is <skin> detached from a donor site and transferred to another site. It supplies <tissue> to cover an area where skin has been lost or removed. The basic distinction is between moving living <skin> and merely placing a protective covering over a surface.<Skin graft in the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms>[Definition: skin moved from one part of the body to another.]{ref}
A <skin graft> does not carry a functioning connection to its original blood supply. Its survival depends on conditions at the receiving site and the establishment of a new supply through <blood vessels>. The successful integration of the transferred <skin> is called graft take. This explains why covering an area and sustaining the transferred <tissue> are different biological requirements.<Looking after your split thickness skin graft and donor site by University Hospitals Sussex>[What are the risks associated with a Split-Thickness Skin Graft (SSG)?: wound-bed dependence and growth of new blood vessels.]{ref}
For a conceptual example, two equally sized pieces of <skin> could cover the same surface area, yet their survival could differ if the receiving <tissues> differ in their ability to support a blood supply. Geometry alone cannot establish that a living graft will integrate.
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