Abstract
The epidermis, the outermost part of the skin, is a continually renewing, stratified, squamous epithelium which has remarkable biological properties. The epidermis was first described by Marcello Malpighi (1628–1694), who believed that it was a gelatinous membrane, and divided it into an inner layer of viable cells (now known as the stratum malpighii) and an outer one of anucleated horny cells (stratum corneum). Most of the cells in the epidermis are keratinocytes arranged in layers that represent different stages of their differentiation. The outer layer, the horny layer, is a layer of extraordinary properties, and functions as a barrier. It protects the body from the environment and helps maintain the internal milieu.
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© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
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Montagna, W., Kligman, A.M., Carlisle, K.S. (1992). Epidermis. In: Atlas of Normal Human Skin. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9202-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9202-6_3
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-9204-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-9202-6
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