Outermost of the three layers that make up the skin
This article is about skin in mammals. For other uses, see Epidermis (disambiguation).
Epidermis
Microscopic image of the epidermis, which constitutes the outer layer of skin, shown here by the white bar
Microscopic image showing the layers of the epidermis. The stratum corneum appears more compact in this image than above because of different sample preparation.
Details
Part of
Skin
System
Integumentary system
Identifiers
Latin
epidermis
MeSH
D004817
TA98
A16.0.00.009
TA2
7046
TH
H3.12.00.1.01001
FMA
70596
Anatomical terms of microanatomy
[edit on Wikidata]
The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis.[1] The epidermis layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens[2] and regulates the amount of water released from the body into the atmosphere through transepidermal water loss.[3]
The epidermis is composed of multiple layers of flattened cells[4] that overlie a base layer (stratum basale) composed of columnar cells arranged perpendicularly. The layers of cells develop from stem cells in the basal layer. The thickness of the epidermis varies from 31.2μm for the penis to 596.6μm for the sole of the foot with most being roughly 90μm. Thickness does not vary between the sexes but becomes thinner with age.[5] The human epidermis is an example of epithelium, particularly a stratified squamous epithelium.
The word epidermis is derived through Latin from Ancient Greek epidermis, itself from Ancient Greek epi 'over, upon' and from Ancient Greek derma 'skin'. Something related to or part of the epidermis is termed epidermal.
^Young B (2014). Wheater's functional histology a text and colour atlas. Elsevier. pp. 160 & 175. ISBN 9780702047473.
^Marks JG, Miller J (2006). Lookingbill and Marks' Principles of Dermatology (4th ed.). Elsevier. pp. 1–7. ISBN 978-1-4160-3185-7.
^Proksch E, Brandner JM, Jensen JM (December 2008). "The skin: an indispensable barrier". Experimental Dermatology. 17 (12): 1063–1072. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0625.2008.00786.x. PMID 19043850. S2CID 31353914.
^McGrath JA, Eady RA, Pope FM (2004). Rook's Textbook of Dermatology (7th ed.). Blackwell Publishing. pp. 3.1–3.6. ISBN 978-0-632-06429-8.
^Lintzeri, D.A.; Karimian, N.; Blume-Peytavi, U.; Kottner, J. (2022). "Epidermal thickness in healthy humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 36 (8): 1191–1200. doi:10.1111/jdv.18123. ISSN 0926-9959. PMID 35366353.
The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis layer provides...
cells, constituting 95% of the epidermis, while Merkel cells, melanocytes and Langerhans cells are also present. The epidermis can be further subdivided into...
organ, made up of at least two major layers of tissue: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer, providing the initial barrier to...
layers via diffusion from the dermis, since the epidermis is without direct blood supply. The epidermis contains four cell types: keratinocytes, melanocytes...
Skin is composed of three primary layers: the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis. The epidermis, "epi" coming from the Greek language meaning "over"...
The dermis or corium is a layer of skin between the epidermis (with which it makes up the cutis) and subcutaneous tissues, that primarily consists of...
Keratinocytes are the primary type of cell found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells...
stratum granulosum (or granular layer) is a thin layer of cells in the epidermis lying above the stratum spinosum and below the stratum corneum (stratum...
stratum germinativum) is the deepest layer of the five layers of the epidermis, the external covering of skin in mammals. The stratum basale is a single...
composed mainly of parenchyma cells. Some parenchyma cells, as in the epidermis, are specialized for light penetration and focusing or regulation of gas...
'Staphylococcus' - bunch of grape-like berries, 'epidermidis' - of the epidermis. Friedrich Julius Rosenbach distinguished S. epidermidis from S. aureus...
epidermis than on the upper epidermis, and is generally thicker on leaves from dry climates as compared with those from wet climates. The epidermis serves...
membranes stemming from keratinocytes, the prominent cell type in the epidermis. More specifically, it can refer to: actinic keratosis (also known as...
filaments are abundant in keratinocytes in the hornified layer of the epidermis; these are proteins which have undergone keratinization. They are also...
cuticle. This phase begins when the epidermis has secreted a new epicuticle to protect it from the enzymes, and the epidermis secretes the new exocuticle while...
stratum corneum (Latin for 'horny layer') is the outermost layer of the epidermis. Consisting of dead tissue, it protects underlying tissue from infection...
The Malpighian layer (stratum mucosum or stratum malpighii) of the epidermis is generally defined as both the stratum basale (basal layer) and the thicker...
in dermatology to refer to "upward spreading" of abnormal cells in the epidermis (ie from bottom to top). It is uncommon and a possible indication of a...
snakes, possess extensive keratinization of the epidermis in the form of epidermal scales. A snake's epidermis is composed of four layers. The outer layer...
stating that the external, internal and middle layers form respectively the epidermis, the gut, and the intervening musculature and vasculature. The term "mesoderm"...
The term also refers to a layer of cells lying immediately below the epidermis of plants. Fibrous bands anchoring the skin to the deep fascia Collagen...
biologically or for medical reasons. Keratinocytes are the main cell type of the epidermis. They form several layers of the skin. Life for a keratinocyte begins...
stratum spinosum (or spinous layer/prickle cell layer) is a layer of the epidermis found between the stratum granulosum and stratum basale. This layer is...
they possess a "creeping sole", a highly ciliated region on the ventral epidermis that helps them to creep over the substrate. Native to Asia, several species...
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