Histology 12

NSU
Spring 2009
Taken by: Gregory Rodocker
Skin
 Largest and heaviest single organ of
the body
 1.2-2.3 m2 surface area
 Outer epidermis
 Lower dermis and
 Underlying hypodermis (which is not
actually considered part of the skin)
Epidermis
 Stratified squamous epithelium
 Cells called keratinocytes
 Also contains
 Melanocytes
 Produce melanin
 Langerhans cells
 Merkel’s cells
Thin vs. thick skin
 Thick skin or non-hairy
 Palms and soles
 Thin skin or hairy
 Found everywhere else
 What varies is the thickness of the
epidermis
Thin skin
Epidermal layers
 Stratum basale
 Single layer of columnar to cuboidal cells
on basement membrane
 Desmosomes and hemidesmosomes
 Intense mitotic activity (every 15-30 day
replacement)
 Produce keratin
Epidermal layers
 Stratum spinosum
 Cuboidal to flattened cells
 Spiny, studded appearance
 Thicker in areas of wear and tear
 Provides resistance to abrasion
Epidermal layers
 Stratum granulosum
 3-5 layer of flattened polygonal cells
 Cells release lipid material that seals the
cell layer
Epidermal layers
 Stratum lucidum
 More obvious in thick skin
 Translucent
 Flattened cells
 Dying and dead cells
Epidermal layers
 Stratum corneum
 15-20 layers (in thick skin)
 Flattened, non-nucleated keratinized cells
 Cells dead
 Cells lost to wear and tear
Melanocytes
 Produce melanin
 Eumelanin – dark
brown
 Pheomelanin – reddish
 Racial and individual
differences in skin color
result from the amount
of melanin and not the
number of melanocytes
Melanin
Sunscreen components
Protection by melanin
 Note that the
melanin granules
are around the
nucleus to protect it
from solar radiation
 Skin color caused
by melanin, blood
vessels and blood
flowing
Langerhans and Merkel’s cells
 Langerhans cells are the APC’s of the
skin
 Merkel’s cells may be sense organs
for mechanoreception or serve a
neuroendocrine role
Dermis
 CT that supports the epidermis and
connects it to the hypodermis
 Two layers
 Papillary layer that is thickest in wear and
tear areas
 Reticular layer
Dermis
 Contains
 Hair follicles
 Sebaceous glands
 Sweat glands
 All of epidermal origin
 Sympathetic but no parasympathetic
innervation to skin structures
 Rich blood and lymph supply
Sensory structures
 Pacinian corpuscles
 Meissner’s corpuscles
 Free nerve endings
Meisner’s Corpuscles
Hair follicles
 Hair is found everywhere except
 Palms
 Soles
 Lips
 Glans penis
 Clitoris
 Labia minora
Hair follicle
Sebaceous glands
 Acinar glands
 100 glands/cm2
 400-900 glands/cm2 on face, forehead
and shoulders
 Produce sebum
 Lipids including triglycerides, waxes
squalene and cholesterol
Squalene
(aka spinicene or supraene)
Sweat gland
 Everywhere but in the glans penis
 Produce sweat
 Water, sodium chloride, urea, ammonia
ad uric acid
Ducts lined by stratified
cuboidal epithelium
Skin Cancer
 One third of all cancers are skin
cancers
 Three types:
 Squamous cell carcinoma
 Basal cell carcinoma
 Malignant melanoma
Squamous and basal cell Ca