Structure and function of Skin Flashcards
What is the role of the epidermis?
Establishing and maintaining a selective barrier at all stages of life.
What is the composition of the embryonic epidermis?
A single layer of basal cells overlaid by periderm cells that are in direct contact with the amnionic fluid
What happens to the epidermis at eight weeks gestation?
Basal epidermal cells differentiate into keratinocytes and undergo stratification to form multiple cell layers that remian covered by the periderm
What happens to keratinocytes by the end of the second trimester of gestation?
Periderm cells are shed and replaced by stratified keratinocytes that undergo further differentiation to form the four distinct layers of the epidermis
What are the four layers of the epidermis?
Stratum corneum (outermost), granular layer, spinous layer, basal layer (innermost)
What cells make up the majority of the epidermis?
Keratinocytes
What is the role of keratin in the epidermis?
They are intermediate filament cytoskeletal proteins to impart strength and structure to individual keratinocytes and the tissue
What is the cause of epidermolysis bullosa simplex?
An epidermal blistering disease where epidermal keratin genes are mutated, which collapses the keratinocyte cytoskeleton
What is keratinization?
A progressive series of signaling and transcriptional changes to keratinocytes that results in spatiotemporal cellular changes to form the epidermis
What is the structure of the stratum corneum?
Lipid bilayers, cross-linked cornified envelope, keratin filament cables, filaggrin
What is the structure of the granular layer of the epidermis?
Tight junctions, lamellar granules, keratohyalin granules, keratin filament bundles, profilaggrin, loricrin, lipids
What is the structure of the spinous layer of the epidermis?
Bundles of keratin filaments, intercellular junctions, rich in desmosomes
What is the structure of the basal layer of the epidermis?
Intercellular junctions, rich in adherens junctions
How is the basal layer of the epidermis attached to the basement membrane?
Hemidesmosomes, focal adhesions
What is the structure of the basement membrane?
Laminin V, fibronectin, collagen IV
What is the role of the basal layer of the epidermis in wound healing?
Stem cells in the basal compartment
What type of cancer occurs in the basal layer of the epidermis?
Basal cell carcinoma
What is found at cell-cell junctions in the spinous layer of the epidermis?
Desmosomes
What conditions result from antibodies against desmosomal proteins in the spinous layer of the epidermis?
Pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceous
What is the mechanism of scalded skin syndrome and bullous impetigo?
Staph aureus bacterial toxins proteolytically cleave desmosomes
What is produced by keratinocytes in the granular layer of the epidermis?
Keratohyalin granules that contain filament aggregating proteins (profillagrin)
What is the cause of icthyosis vulgaris?
Fillagrin mutations in the granular layer of the epidermis
What junctions are present in the granular layer (stratum granulosum) of the epidermis?
Tight junctions - they complement the lipid barrier to be semi-permeable, limit water loss, and keep noxious agents/pathogens out
What cells are in the cornified layer of the epidermis?
Highly resilient, keratinized, and anucleate cells called corneocytes that are surrounded by the cornified envelope ebedded into the lamellar membrane
What is the cause of lamellar ichthyosis?
It is a recessive disorder that causes disfiguring scaling due to stratum corneum defects
What are the lipid contents of the lamellar membranes?
Modified ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids, and cholesterol esters
What is the cause of harlequin ichthyosis?
A mutation in a lipid transporter gene in the cornified layer of the stratum corneum
What is desquamination?
The process of corneocyte shedding via a series of proteolytic enzymes
What are melanocytes?
Neural crest derived, pigment producing cells mostly in the basal layer of the epidermis
What are melanosomes?
Products of melanocytes that are secreted directly into keratinocytes
What type of cancer occurs in melanocytes?
Melanomas
What are langerhans cells?
Bone marrow-derived cells primarily in the suprabasal layers that are critical for proccessing and presenting antigens to T cells and play a key role in immunological responsiveness of the skin.