Normal Skin Structure & Function I and II Flashcards
What features of the skin provide resistance to abrasion?
- keratinocytes
- desmosomes
- keratin filaments
- dermal CT
What features of the skin provide resistance to infection?
- keratinocytes
- Langerhans cells
- WBCs in dermis
What features of the skin provide prevention of dehydration?
- keratinocytes
- stratum granulosum
- lamellar bodies
What features of the skin provide protection of underlying tissue from UV light?
- keratinocytes
- melanocytes
What features of the skin provide synthesis of vitamin D?
keratinocytes
What features of the skin provide thermoregulation?
- sweat glands & hair
- dermal blood vessel distribution and regulation
What features of the skin provide excretion?
sweat glands
What features of the skin provide sensation of temperature, pressure, pain?
- sense organs including hot and cool receptors?
- Meissner’s corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles (will be covered in neuro)
What two kinds of skin are recognized histologically?
- thick skin
- thin skin
Where is thick skin found?
- palms of the hands
- soles of the feet
Where is thin skin found?
everywhere besides palms of the hands and soles of the feet
What are the main cells found in the epidermis?
- keratinocytes
- melanocytes
- Langerhans cells
What type of epithelium makes up the epidermis?
stratified squamous epithelium
The keratin of keratinocytes are particularly rich in which three amino acids?
- cysteine
- lysine
- histidine
*amino acids involved in forming crosslinks within and between protein chains
Keratin filaments connect at the plasma membrane to what structure that attaches adjacent keratinocytes?
desmosomes
Keratin filaments connect at the plasma membrane to what structure that attaches keratinocytes to the basal lamina?
hemidesmosomes
The stratified squamous epithelium of the skin is composed of what 5 recognizable layers (sometimes 4)?
- basal layer (stratum basale, stratum germinativum)
- spinous layer (stratum spinosum)
- granular layer (stratum granulosum)
- clear layer (stratum lucidum) - found in thick skin
- cornified layer (stratum corneum)
The youngest keratinocytes are found in which layer of the skin?
basal layer (stratum basale, stratum germinativum)
The youngest keratinocytes, found in the basal layer, are what type of cells?
cuboidal or columnar
Hemidesmosomes are the target of immune destruction in which autoimmune disease?
bullous pemphigoid
Desmosomes are the target of immune destruction in which autoimmune disease?
pemphigus vulgaris
What do basal keratinocytes secrete?
Type VII collagen
Type VII collagen is important for what?
Type VII collagen is the main component of anchoring fibrils which reinforce the connection of epidermal basal lamina with underlying dermis
What type of collagen underlies several kinds of epidermolysis bullosa (a family of genetic blistering diseases)
Type VII collage
Cells from the basal layer migrate upward into the ______ layer and differentiation into keratinocytes called ______.
Cells from the basal layer migrate upward into the SPINOUS layer and differentiation into keratinocytes called PRICKLE CELLS.
Prickle cells from large numbers of ______ with adjacent cells.
desmosomes
What is the function of tonofibrils and in what cell do you find them?
Prominent bundles of tonofibrils internally reinforce prickle cells. Tonofibrils are made up of keratin filaments.
Why are the keratinocytes of the spinous layer called prickle cells?
Shrinkage of the cell cytoplasm away from the desmosomes during post-mortem fixation gives the cells the appearance of being prickly
Where is Vitamin D synthesized?
in the plasma membranes of spinous layer keratinocytes (prickle cells), in response to UV light
The granular layer consists of _____ cells containing _____ _____.
The granular layer consists of FLATTENED cells containing KERATOHYALIN GRANULES.
What are keratohyalin granules?
They are basophilic granules that contain profilaggrin, a precursor of filaggrin.
They are found in the flattened keratinocyte cells of the granular layer.
What is the importance of profilaggrin in skin?
It cross-links keratin filaments and organizes them into reinforced bundles in corneocytes (cells of the cornified layer).
What is the importance of filaggrin in skin?
Filaggrin is a hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from air) molecule that acts as a natural moisturizer and helps to keep overlying keratinocytes of the cornified layer hydrated.
Genetic defects in filaggrin can result in what?
increased permeability of the skin to allergens, and this is emerging as a causative factor in atopic eczema
Breakdown products of filaggrin _____ the stratum corneum and may contribute to ______ to colonization by some potential pathogens.
Breakdown products of filaggrin ACIDIFY the stratum corneum and may contribute to RESISTANCE to colonization by some potential pathogens.
Breakdown products from what substance can acidify the stratum corneum?
Filaggrin
Acidifying the stratum corneum has what effect?
It contributes to resistance to colonization by some potential pathogens
What are lamellar bodies? Where are they found?
= membrane-coating granules
They are membrane bound vesicles found in cells of the granular layer.
Lamellar bodies contain which glicolipid? Where is this glicolipid synthesized?
acylceramide, which is synthesized in the ER and is secreted by exocytosis
What is the importance of acyclceramide, the glicolipid found in lamellar bodies?
It is an important factor in waterproofing of the skin at the granular layer/cornified layer junction
What are the living cell layers of the epidermis?
- basal
- spinous
- granular
*these are collectively known as the stratum Malpighi
As cells from the granular layer migrate outward, they die and lose their nuclei. This process is evident in a very thin transparent layer known as what?
the clear layer - stratum lucidum
usually seen in thick skin, not thin skin