What are the main layers of the skin and their functions?

The skin has two primary layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the superficial, avascular layer that provides a protective barrier and includes cells like keratinocytes and melanocytes. The dermis is deeper, vascular, and rich in collagen, housing nerves, blood vessels, and skin appendages to support structure and sensation.

What is the difference between thick and thin skin?

Thick skin is found on palms and soles, has five epidermal layers including stratum lucidum, lacks hair and sebaceous glands, and contains many sweat glands. Thin skin covers most of the body, has four epidermal layers without stratum lucidum, and includes hair follicles and sebaceous glands.

What are the key functions of the skin?

The skin performs multiple vital functions, including protection from mechanical, microbial, and chemical damage, regulation of body temperature through sweat and blood flow, sensory perception for touch, pain, and temperature, and synthesis of Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

What are the main types of sweat glands in the skin?

The skin contains two primary types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands are widely distributed and help regulate temperature. Apocrine glands are found in areas like the axilla and pubis, develop at puberty, and produce odorous secretions.

How is the skin innervated for sensation?

The skin's nerve supply includes sensory fibers with specialized receptors for different stimuli, such as free nerve endings for pain and temperature, Meissner corpuscles for fine touch, and Pacinian corpuscles for pressure and vibration. Motor fibers also control sweat glands and blood vessel tone.

What are skin surface irregularities and why are they important?

Skin surface irregularities include patterns like tension (Langer’s) lines, formed by collagen orientation and important for surgical incisions, papillary (friction) ridges on fingers and toes that create unique fingerprints, and flexor lines at joints from repeated movement.

How does the skin contribute to thermoregulation?

The skin aids in thermoregulation through mechanisms like sweat production from eccrine glands to cool the body and blood flow adjustments via arteriovenous anastomoses in the dermis to conserve or release heat.

Skin Anatomy – Epidermis, Dermis, Glands & Functions

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