Skin Structure and Function 2 Flashcards
95% of epidermal cells are?
Keratinocytes
Epidermal cells?
Melanocytes (basal and suprabasal) Langerhans (suprabasal) Merkel cells (basal)
What happens to melanocytes in the first 3 months of foetal development?
MIgrate from the neural crest to the epidermis
What are melanocytes?
Pigment producing dendritic cells
Organelles within melanocytes?
Melanosomes
What do melanocytes do?
Convert tyrosine to melanin pigment -Eumelanin (brown or black) -Phaeomelanin (red, yellow)
Melanin absorbs light. True or false?
True
Other word for melanin granules?
Melanosomes
What colour do melanocytes stain?
Purple/blue
What protects the nuclear DNA in basal cells?
Melanin caps
What is vitalago?
AI disease with loss of melanocytes
What is albinism?
Disorder with genetic partial loss of pigment production
Nelson’s syndrome?
Melanin stimulating hormone is produced in XS by pituitary
What is malignant melanoma?
Tumour of the melanocyte line
Where do Langerhan cells originate?
Bone marrow
Where do langerhan cells reside?
Prickle cell level in epidermis but also found in dermis and lymph nodes
What are langerhans involved in?
Skin immune system -Antigen presenting cells -Pick up antigen in skin and circulate to lymph nodes
What type of cells are langerhans?
Dendritic cells (dendrite means tree like)
What does Birbeck granule do?
NOONE knows
Where are merkel cells?
Between keratinocytes and nerve fibres in the basal layer
What type of receptors are merkel cells?
Mechanoreceptors
What is merkel cell cancer caused by?
Viral infection
Odds with merkel cancer?
Low -High mortality rate -Rare disease
What makes up a hair follicle?
Epidermal component + dermal papilla
