skin and pressure ulcers

Question 1

what is the epidermis?
whats inside the epidermis?
whatis the basal layer?

Answer 1

• Epidermis

• The outer layer of your skin which is visible t the eye ad provides protection.
• 8% of the cells here are melanocytes which is a brown/black pigment. These give the skin varying colour and absorb damaging UV light.
• Within the epidermis, skin is made up of four layers with thick skin having 5 layers. Thick skin is found in areas where the body experiences a lot of abrasion such as the fingertips, palms of the hand and soles of the feet.
• The basal layer of the epidermis is the innermost layer which holds the stem cells needed for skin repair. The cells in this constantly divide, pushing older cells towards the surface. If the basal layer is damaged then skin can’t repair itself and skin grafting is necessary.

Question 2

draw what the image of skin looks like

Question 3

what is the hypodermis or subcutaneous skin layer?

Answer 3

• The innermost skin layer and made up of connective tissue and fat which hold larger blood vessels and nerves than the outer layers of skin. This layer of skin acts as an insulator to help the body to regulate its temp.
• This layer is thickest in the buttocks, palms of hands and soles of feet. Generally a healthier person will have less subcutaneous tissue than an unhealthy person.
• The connective tissue in this layer is important in connecting your skin to your muscles and bones.

Question 4

what is the dermis of the skin?

Question 5

what is the function of skin?

Answer 5

•	Protect
-Physical barrier against microbes. First line of defence. Protects from dehydration and UV radiation.
•	Regulates temperature
•	Enables sensation
•	Synthesises vitamin D
•	Provide immunity