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What are the layers of the epidermis from deepest to most superficial?
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human skin
Human skin, whose cells are generated continuously by the body, serves as a protective barrier between the inside of the human body and the environment.
The epidermis is organized into distinct layers that reflect the maturation process of keratinocytes as they move from the base toward the surface of the skin. From the deepest layer to the most superficial, the layers are:
- Stratum basale: The innermost layer, also known as the basal layer, which rests on the basement membrane and is the site of continuous cell division.12
- Stratum spinosum: The spinous or prickle-cell layer, located immediately peripheral to the basal layer.12
- Stratum granulosum: The granular layer, characterized by the presence of keratohyalin granules within the cells.12
- Stratum lucidum: A clear, hyaline layer that is typically only recognizable in thick, glabrous skin, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, situated between the granular layer and the stratum corneum.12
- Stratum corneum: The outermost, horny layer consisting of flattened, dead cells that have lost their nuclei and organelles before being eventually desquamated.12