Skin Flashcards
What are the four primary tissues that form skin?
Epithelium
Connective
Muscle
Nerve
Does skin have its own nerve and blood supply?
Yes
What are the three main layers of skin?
Epidermis
Dermis
Hypodermis
What is the epidermis layer of skin?
Formed from epithelium tissue.
Top layer
Stratified, which means cells form more than one layer
Formed from five layers which are stratified too
Ectodermal origin
What is the function of the epidermis layer?
Form boundaries between the internal and external environment
Prevent water loss by evaporation
What is the dermis layer of skin?
Layer underneath epidermis.
Formed from connective tissue.
What is the function of the dermis layer?
Give skin structural strength
Reduce risk of external injury
Permit body cooling
Maintain the epidermis by its blood flow
What is the hypodermis layer of skin?
Layer underneath skin.
Adipose layer
What is the function of the hypodermis layer?
Anchor skin to underlying structures
What are the four main functions of skin?
Immune surveillance
UV protection
Energy storage
Sensory information
What are the five layers of the epidermis?
Stratum basale
Stratum spinous
Stratum granulosum
Stratum lucidum
Stratum corneum
What are the four basic cell types that form the epidermis?
Keratinocytes
Melanocytes
Langerhan Cells
Merkel Cells
What are keratinocytes?
Most frequent cell type in epidermis.
Contain keratin, makes skin resistant to abrasion as it makes it hard.
Extrude lipids, which allows the cells to be waterproof
Constantly divide and regenerate which allows them to protect the skin from any damage
What are melanocytes?
Allow pigment formation
What are Langerhan cells?
Allow immune surveillance
What are Merkel cells?
Touch receptors
What is each epidermal layer formed from?
Squamous keratinising epithelium tissue.
Maturing keratinocytes from the basement membrane of the dermis
What is the stratum basal layer? What is its function?
Bottom layer
Formed from tall columnar cells
Cells are bound to the basement membrane through hemidesmosomes
Basement membrane allows the cell to form connections with the top dermis layer, the dermal papillae. Keeps skin together.
Continuously proliferates stem cells
What is the stratum spinosum layer? What is its function?
Cells in this layer shrink, meaning that their desmosome junctions form ‘spines’
Prepares for keratinisation
What is the stratum granulosum layer?
Cells within this layer contain granules of keratohyalin
What are the stratum lucidum and corneum layers? What are their functions?
Cells within these layers do not have any organelles and are bound together through desmosomes. There are also lots of disulphide linkages, which add to the layers strength.
These layers are replaced every 15-30 days.
Convert keratohyalin to keratin through a process known as keratinisation
What is psoriasis?
Autoimmune condition where the skin over produced keratin.
Why does the thickness of the epidermis and dermis vary around the body?
Dynamic tissue that responds to activity changes
Mainly due to stratum corneum
What are the two layers of the dermis?
Papillary layer
Reticular layer