SKIN Flashcards
Where can we find muco-cutaneous junction?
Mouth, nostrils
- skin has to become continuous with mucous membrane lining —> muco-cutaneous junction (epithelium becomes non-keratinising)
Does hairless skin have sebaceous / apocrine glands ?
NO.
Hairless skin is usually thick skin
What is the general function of keratin, keratohyalin granules and lamellar bodies?
Protect against mechanical damage & dehydration
What happens to skin of premature babies? When’s epidermal maturation completed?
Skin barrier function won’t be good during 1st week of life,
Epidermal maturation completed by 34 weeks of gestation
What is epidermis mainly composed of?
Keratinocytes
Where do keratinocytes originate from?
Proliferating basal layer
What do keratinocytes synthesise and secrete?
Synthesise keratin filaments + desmosomal proteins - they make up “cytoskeleton”, giving cell strength + cohesion
Secrete antimicrobial peptides, cytokines in response to tissue injury
What are the function of lamellar bodies?
Secrete lipid & lipid hydrolases - to form water-tight intercellular lipid bilateral
Produce filaggin in stratum corneum - hold moisture
What happens in someone with filaggrin deficiency?
‘Leaky’ skin that loses water & allows entry of allergens that trigger an immunological response
What are the consequences of loss of function mutations in filaggrin gene?
- Dry, scaly skin
- Ichthyosis vulgaris - autosomal dominant disorder causing dry scaly skin
- Major risk factor for ectopic eczema & associated allergies
What would lead to shedding of skin (desquamation)?
Changes in lipid metabolism + protease activity in outermost layer
Where do melanocytes originate from, and what are their functions?
*Originate from NCC!
Synthesise pigment melanin (transferred to surrounding keratinocytes to give protection against UV)
What are the functions of Langerhan’s cells?
Dendritic cells derived from bone marrow
- play role in antigen presentation & immunoregulation
Which skin layer is Merkel cells found in?
Basal layer
Where can you find Merkel cells? What role do they play?
numerous on fingertips, oral cavity
Also found on erectile tissue, foot
Play a role in sensation
What can be found in dermis?
Collagen & elastin fibres
How many layers are there in dermis?
- Superficial papillary layer
Reticular layer (thicker)
What happens to skin since there’s over-distension / stretching in pregnancy / obesity?
Collagen bundles rupture (in reticular layer) —> stretch marks —> abdominal striae
What parts of the dermis have smooth muscle fibres? And why?
Nipples, penis, scrotum
- contract and ripple skin
What is panniculus carnosus? Where can we find it?
Muscle sheet
- present in face, neck, around scrotum
Moves skin
What is Ruffini corpuscle?
Slow-adapting mechanoreceptors
- detect continuous pressure
Where can we find Krause end bulb?
In conjunctiva, mucous membrane of lips + tongue
*formed by expansion of CT sheath
Where can we find Meissner’s corpuscle? (Incl. Skin layer) What does it do?
Located in dermis, inside dermal papilla
- light & discriminatory touch
What are the layers of epidermis (stratified squamous) from surface to base?
Come let’s get sun burned:
Stratum Corneum (keratin) Stratum Lucidum (most prominent in palms + soles) Stratum Granulosum Stratum Spinosum (desmosomes) Stratum Basale (stem cell site)
What does Parcinian corpuscle do? What does it look like histologically?
Deep touch, vibration, pressure
What happens when arrector pilli (smooth muscle, innervates by sympathetic NS) contracts?
- “goosebumps”
- squeeze sebaceous gland —> sebum secretion