Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Epidermis
- Outermost layer
- Epidermis ranges in thickness from 0.4 to 1.5 mm
- Cornification (formation of the outermost dead layer of
the skin – stratum corneum)
1. Synthesis of lamellar granules & distinctive
proteins (keratins, fillagrin, involucrin)
2. Alterations of nuclei, cytoplasmic organelles,
plasma membranes, & desmosomes
Epidermis
- As cornification proceeds, vertically oriented, columnar
basal keratinocytes become altered gradually into pancake-
shaped cornified cells aligned parallel to the skin surface
• Epidermis
- Avascular
- stratified squamous keratinizing epithelium (ectodermal)
• Dermis
- Vascular
- Dense irregular C.T. (Mesodermal)
• Hypodermis/ Subcutis
- varying amounts of adipose C.T.
2
Stratum Lucidum
- palms and soles
- translucent and barely visible
- flat cells
- contains densely packed keratin filaments Basement Membrane Zone
• Junction between epidermis & dermis
Stratum Corneum (Cornified Layer)
- anucleate 4 zones:
- consists of flattened, dead cells filled with soft keratin 1. Plasma membrane
filaments o basal keratinocytes that constitute the upper
- continuous shedding (desquamation) boundary of the interface
2. Lamina lucida
Melanocytes o electron-lucent region that lies beneath basal
- neural crest origin keratinocytes
- long, irregular cytoplasmic and dendritic extensions 3. Lamina densa
- between stratum basale and spinosum o electron-dense plate below lamina lucida &
- production of melanin above papillary dermis
- epidermal melanin unit 4. Sub-basal lamina fibrous zone
o 1 melanocyte:4 basal keratinocytes (cheeks) o below lamina densa, consisting of uppermost
o 1:10 (limbs) portion of papillary dermis
- activity of melanocytes increases with exposure to Xrays
and UV light
Langerhans cells
- Star shaped cells with numerous dendritic processes found
in stratum spinosum
- by E/M: indented nucleus, well developed RER and Golgi
complex, clear cytoplasm with rodlike inclusions, Birbeck
granules (Rod/Racquet inclusions)
- potent stimulators of T-cell mediated immunoreactions
3
o bulbous expansion
o highly vascularized
Dermis - surrounded by external and internal root sheaths (ERS and
- derived from mesenchyme IRS)
- composition: collagen (70%), elastin (1-3%), ground
- substance (proteoglycans)
- contains sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and hair
- follicles
- highly vascular
- 2 parts:
o Papillary dermis
o Reticular dermis
Papillary Dermis
- thin zone immediately beneath the epidermis
- thin, haphazardly arranged collagen bundles (highly
irregular; accounts for the whorls, loops and arches that
constitute fingerprints)
- delicate branching elastic fibers
- plentiful fibrocytes
- abundant ground substance
- highly developed circulation
- made up mostly of capillaries Hair Follicle
transverse section of the hair bulb:
Reticular Dermis
- thick collagen bundles arranged in orthogonal
- pattern
- collagen fibers have parallel orientation (accounts for
- lines of cleavage)
- elastic fibers course along collagen bundles
- fewer fibrocytes, blood vessels & ground substance
Elastic Tissue
- 2 - 4% of dermis
- for retractile properties of the skin HAIR PAPILLA
- synthesized by fibroblasts - small blood vessels and myelinated and nonmyelinated
- wavy, branching nerve
- papillary dermis: thin and run at right angles to the skin - Germinative cells GC
surface o forms the follicle
- reticular dermis: thicker and oriented parallel to skin
surface Hair Follicle
- demonstrated by van-Gieson stain - transverse section
Subcutis/Panniculus
- deepest layer
- derived from mesenchyme
- consists of adipose tissue, blood vessels & nerves
- also contains sweat glands & bases of hair follicles
SKIN APPENDAGES
- Hair Follicles
- Sebaceous glands
- Eccrine glands
- Apocrine glands
- Nails ERS
- separated from the CT tissue sheath by the glassy
Hair Follicle membrane
- Tubular structure - homogenous
o perifollicular CT and epithelium IRS
- Hair bulb - eosinophilic (keratohyaline)
o Base - granules
4
• DERMAL DUCT
Hair Follicle o double layer
- transverse section above the sebaceous glands o eosinophilic lumen
o Na+ reabsorption
Sebaceous Glands
- assoc. with hair follicles
- lateral protrusions from the hair follicle
- simple or branched alveolar in morphology appearing like
a bunch of grapes
- Holocrine gland- total disintegration of secretory
- cells with sebum
o activity increase during puberty
- found everywhere on the body except the palms and soles Eccrine gland Aporine gland (diameter several times >)
o more abundant in the scalp, face, midline of the
back, perineum and orifices of the body Nails
- eyelids: Meibomian glands
- buccal mucosa & vermilion of lip: Fordyce spots
- areola of women: Montgomery glands
- labia minora & glans: Tyson glands
Thick Skin
- Cutaneous plexus- between the dermis and subcutis
- Subpapillary or superficial plexus- between the papillary
and reticular dermis
- Glomus bodies- special type of AV anastomosis for
- temperature regulation; fingers, toes and nails
Walls of veins generally are thinner than those of arteries and less
clearly divided into the three classic layers Thin Skin
Types of SKIN
THICK SKIN THIN SKIN
palms of hands, fingers, Other regions except palms,
soles, toes soles, fingers, toes
thickness of epidermis thin epidermis
considerable
abundant sweat glands small number of sweat
glands
no pilosebaceous follicles presence of pilosebaceous
follicles
grooves and ridges lacks ridges and grooves
prominent because of tall with checkered network of
dermal papillae lines
numerous arterio-venous absent or few arterio-venous
anastomosis anastomosis