Making an Epidermis

The skin functions as a barrier protecting the body from dehydration and environmental insults. This barrier function is mainly provided by the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. The epidermis is maintained by epidermal stem cells which reside in the basal layer and which generate daughter cells that move upward toward the surface of the skin. During this journey, keratinocytes undergo a series of biochemical and morphological changes...