What is the function of the stratum basale?

Stratum basale, also known as the basal cell layer, is the innermost layer of the epidermis. This layer contains column-shaped basal cells that are constantly dividing and being pushed toward the surface. The stratum basale is also home to melanocytes that produce melanin (the pigment responsible for skin color).

What is the function of stratum basale quizlet?

Terms in this set (4)

The stratum basale is also called the stratum germinativum, a name that refers to its major function. What is that function? The stratum basale undergoes almost continuous mitosis to replace cells lost by abrasion.

Why is the stratum basale layer important?

Stratum Basale

This layer is one of the most important layers of our skin. This is because it contains the only cells of the epidermis that can divide via the process of mitosis, which means that skin cells germinate here, hence the word germinativum.

What is the function of stratum corneum?

The stratum corneum (SC), the skin’s outermost layer and interface with the outside world is now well recognized as the barrier that prevents unwanted materials from entering, and excessive loss of water from exiting the body.

What is the function stratum spinosum?


The stratum spinosum helps make your skin flexible and strong. … Between the stratum granulosum and the stratum corneum. Function. The stratum lucidum is a thin, transparent layer of keratinocytes that are becoming less round and have a flatter shape.

Which are functions of the Basale layer of the epidermis quizlet?

Which are functions of the basale layer of the epidermis? –Provides skin coloring and protects it from ultraviolet light.

Is stratum basale the basement membrane?

Stratum basale, also known as stratum germinativum, is the deepest layer, separated from the dermis by the basement membrane (basal lamina) and attached to the basement membrane by hemidesmosomes.

Why does the stratum basale form ridges?

There are no blood vessels in the epidermis, so any oxygen and nutrients must be able to diffuse up from the dermis. The epidermal ridges increase surface area, facilitating this process.

What type of cells are in the stratum basale?

The innermost basal layer, stratum basale (SB), consists in undifferentiated keratinocytes, stem cells, melanocytes, and Merkel cells.

What is the structure of stratum basale?

The stratum basale is a single layer of cells primarily made of basal cells. A basal cell is a cuboidal-shaped stem cell that is a precursor of the keratinocytes of the epidermis. All of the keratinocytes are produced from this single layer of cells, which are constantly going through mitosis to produce new cells.

What does the stratum corneum protect from?

The skin barrier is located in the uppermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC, fig. 1). Its function is to protect the body from excessive transepidermal water loss (TEWL), as well as to prevent the penetration of compounds into the body via the epidermis.

What is the stratum corneum made up of?

The stratum corneum, which is the outermost epidermal layer, consists of dead cells and is the major barrier to chemical transfer through the skin.

How do the cells of stratum corneum and stratum basale differ?

How do the cells of stratum corneum and stratum basale differ? Cells of the stratum basale are living and reproduce actively, cells of the stratum corneum are dead and keratinized and form the surface layer of the skin.

What does spinosum mean?

The stratum spinosum (or spinous layer/prickle cell layer) is a layer of the epidermis found between the stratum granulosum and stratum basale. … Their spiny (Latin, spinosum) appearance is due to shrinking of the microfilaments between desmosomes that occurs when stained with H&amp,E.

Why is the stratum spinosum called the spiny layer?

The squamous cell layer is located above the basal layer, and is also known as the stratum spinosum or “spiny layer” due to the fact that the cells are held together with spiny projections. … These cells attach themselves to antigens that invade damaged skin and alert the immune system to their presence.

What is the function of dendritic cells found within the stratum spinosum of the epidermis quizlet?

What function does epidermal dendritic cells play in the epidermis? Epidermal dendritic cells help activate the immune system within the body. Spiky hemispheres that in conjunction with sensory nerve endings form a sensitive touch receptor.

What is the function of stratum corneum quizlet?

provides waterproofing to the skin. -This will cut off nutrients for the more superficial layers of the epidermis.

What is the function of Germinative layer of epidermis?

The stratum germinativum is a Latin term, which translates to germinative layer. This layer is composed of germinative (or basal) keratinocytes. These cells are actively dividing to provide new cells to replenish lost skin from normal shedding.

What is the bottom layer of the epidermis quizlet?

Epidermal ridges make up the bottom layer of the skin. It is found in the stratum basale.

Does stratum basale have blood vessels?

It does not have any blood vessels within it (i.e., it is avascular). Skin that has four layers of cells is referred to as “thin skin.” From deep to superficial, these layers are the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, and stratum corneum.

What melanocytes function?

Melanocytes are cells of neural crest origin. In the human epidermis, they form a close association with keratinocytes via their dendrites. Melanocytes are well known for their role in skin pigmentation, and their ability to produce and distribute melanin has been studied extensively.

What is the function of the stratum germinativum quizlet?

they participate in the the immune response by stimulating a defense against microorganisms that manage to penetrate the superficial layers of the epidermis, and superficial skin cancers. superficial to the stratum spinosum, also called grainy layer.

What is the Vasculated area of the skin?

The papillary layer is made up of areolar connective tissue and the underlying reticular layer is composed of dense irregular connective tissue. This dermal part of the skin (organ) is vasculated (has blood vessels) and is innervated (has nerves).

What do epidermal ridges do?

Epidermal ridges and dermal papillae provide increased surface area for the epidermis and dermis to connect.

Why are the cells in the stratum basale of the epidermis able to be more metabolically active than those in the stratum corneum?

The cells of the stratum basale become more metabolically active and increase their rate of cell division when upper layers of the epidermis are stripped away due to abrasions or burns. … Differences in skin pigmentation are due to the number of melanocytes in the basal layer of the skin.

What is the function of the keratin found within skin cells?

Keratin is an important protein in the epidermis. Keratin has two main functions: to adhere cells to each other and to form a protective layer on the outside of the skin. In epithelial cells, keratin proteins inside the cell attach to proteins called desmosomes on the surface.

Why might someone pale when they are exposed to a cold temperature?

First, severe vasoconstriction reduces blood flow to the skin of the affected areas, causing the skin surface to feel cold to touch and to have a white color. The pale white color is due to virtually no blood flow to the skin.

What are the functions of the Hypodermis?

The hypodermis is the bottom layer of skin in your body. It has many important functions, including storing energy, connecting the dermis layer of your skin to your muscles and bones, insulating your body and protecting your body from harm.

What is the most Mitotically active part of the skin?

The basal layer is the primary location of mitotically active cells in the epidermis that give rise to cells of the outer epidermal layers. However, not all basal cells have the potential to divide (Jones, 1996, Lavker &amp, Sun, 1982).

What does the reticular layer contain?

The reticular layer serves to strengthen the skin and also provides our skin with elasticity. Elasticity refers to how our skin is able to spring back into shape if deformed by something like a pinch. The reticular layer also contains hair follicles, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands.

What features make stratum corneum anatomically and functionally significant?

The stratum corneum consists of a series of layers of specialized skin cells that are continuously shedding. It’s also called the horny layer, as the cells are tougher than most, like an animal’s horn. The stratum corneum exists to protect the inner layers of skin.

What is the stratum Disjunctum?

The stratum disjunctum is the uppermost and loosest layer of skin. The stratum compactum is the comparatively deeper, more compacted and more cohesive part of the stratum corneum. The corneocytes of the stratum disjunctum are larger, more rigid and more hydrophobic than that of the stratum compactum.

How is the stratum corneum formed?

The outermost layer of mammalian skin, the stratum corneum (SC) of the epidermis, consists of piles of dead corneocytes that are the end-products of terminal differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes. The SC performs a crucial barrier function of epidermis.

What is Cornified skin?

Cornification, the keratinocyte differentiation programme (occurring in upper layer), is a slow, coordinated process in space and time that allows the formation of a dead cells (corneocytes) layer to create a physical barrier for the skin.

What is the difference between the Germinative layer and the stratum corneum?

Keratinocytes are formed by division in the stratum basale (basal or germinative layer). … The outer layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum (horny layer), is composed of layers of flattened dead cells (corneocytes) that have lost their nucleus. These cells are then shed from the skin (desquamation).

What is the Cornified layer of skin?

The top of the epidermis is called the cornified layer, and it contains thickened dead squamous cells. This part of the skin is very important in protecting our skin from environmental damage, like radiation from the sun and pressure from sharp objects.

Which of the following describes how the cells of the stratum basale and the stratum corneum of the epidermis differ from each other quizlet?

How do the cells of stratum corneum and stratum basale differ? The cells of the basale are cube shaped and alive. The cells of the corneum are dead and filled with keratin, the same as found in nails and hair.

What is the function of melanin and how is it produced?

In its various forms, melanin fulfills a variety of biological functions, including skin and hair pigmentation and photoprotection of the skin and eye. Pigmentation of the skin results from the accumulation of melanin-containing melanosomes in the basal layer of the epidermis.

Which cells are pigment synthesizing cells?

Melanocytes are dendritic, pigment-synthesizing cells of neural crest origin with clear cytoplasm confined to the basal layer. The ratio of melanocytes to basal cells ranges from 1:4 on thecheek to 1:10 on the limbs. The function of melanocytes is to produce protective melanin pigment.

What layer of skin is the stratum basale?

The basal cell layer (stratum basale, or stratum germinosum), is a single layer of cells, closest to the dermis. It is usually only in this layer that cells divide. Some of the dividing cells move up to the next layer. The prickle cell layer (stratum spinosum) is the next layer (8-10 layers of cells).

What is the function of the stratum granulosum?

The cells of the stratum granulosum (SGR) accumlate dense basophilic keratohyalin granules (seen on the close-up view). These granules contain lipids, which along with the desmosomal connections, help to form a waterproof barrier that functions to prevent fluid loss from the body.

What is the function of epidermal dendritic cells?

Epidermal dendritic cells help prevent infections and they also produce pigment for the skin.