epidermis

Also known as outermost skin cells

The epidermis is the outermost of the three major layers that constitute the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermal layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the amount of water released from the body into the atmosphere through transepidermal water loss.

AI overview

The epidermis is the thin, outermost layer of your skin that sits above two deeper layers called the dermis and hypodermis. It protects you by blocking harmful germs from entering your body and controlling how much water your skin loses to the air.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Microanatomy.Name: Epidermis
Microanatomy.Latin: epidermis
Microanatomy.Image: Epidermis-delimited.JPG
Microanatomy.Caption: Microscopic image of the epidermis, which constitutes the outer layer of skin, shown here by the white bar
Microanatomy.Image2: Epidermal layers.png
Microanatomy.Caption2: Microscopic image showing the layers of the epidermis. The stratum corneum appears more compact in this image than above because of different sample preparation.
Microanatomy.System: Integumentary system
Microanatomy.PartOf: Skin

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

69,081 papers

The skin barrier: Epidermis vs environment.Experimental dermatology · 2018Eckhart L, Zeeuwen PLJMDOI: 10.1111/exd.13731
Beyond being innervated: the epidermis actively shapes sensory dendritic patterning.ReviewOpen biology · 2019Yang WK, Chien CTDOI: 10.1098/rsob.180257
The human epidermis.ReviewThe Proceedings of the Nutrition Society · 1995Schallreuter KU, Wood JMDOI: 10.1079/pns19950048
Retinoids and the epidermis.ReviewBiochemical Society transactions · 1988Wood EJ, Raxworthy MJ, Holland DBDOI: 10.1042/bst0160668
Origin of the epidermis in parasitic platyhelminths.ReviewInternational journal for parasitology · 1997Tyler S, Tyler MSDOI: 10.1016/s0020-7519(97)00013-1
Whole-Mount Preparation and Microscopic Analysis of Epidermis.Current protocols · 2022Kubo A, Aoki S, Fujita HDOI: 10.1002/cpz1.464
Inonotus obliquus sclerotia epidermis were different from internal tissues in compound composition, antioxidant activity, and associated fungi.FEMS microbiology letters · 2023Zhang Y, Liu Q, Sun Y et al.DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad126
The Caenorhabditis elegans epidermis as a model skin. II: differentiation and physiological roles.ReviewWiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology · 2012Chisholm AD, Xu SDOI: 10.1002/wdev.77

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Epidermis (skin)

Sources (8)

via Wikidata · CC0

~14 min read

Article

18 sections

Contents

Structure
Cellular components
Cell boundaries
Layers
Cellular kinetics
Cell division
Calcium concentration
Development
Function
Barrier
Skin hydration
Skin color
Touch
Clinical significance
Hyperplasia
Additional images
See also
References

The epidermis is composed of multiple layers of flattened cells that overlie a base layer (stratum basale) composed of perpendicular columnar cells. The layers of cells develop from stem cells in the basal layer. The thickness of the epidermis varies from 31.2 μm for the penis to 596.6 μm for the sole of the foot with most being roughly 90 μm. Thickness does not vary between the sexes but becomes thinner with age. The human epidermis is an example of epithelium, particularly a stratified squamous epithelium.