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Which layers make up the living Malpighian layer of the epidermis?
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skin disease
Visible alterations in the texture of the skin, such as rashes and hives, can be indicative of serious disease. For example, one of the first signs of Lyme disease is a circular rash in a bull's-eye pattern on the skin.
The living Malpighian layer of the epidermis is composed of two specific layers:
- Stratum basale: The innermost basal layer that sits in contact with the basement membrane and is the site of continuous cell formation via mitosis.1
- Stratum spinosum: The spinous or prickle-cell layer located immediately peripheral to the basal layer, characterized by cells with a spiny appearance due to desmosomes.1
Together, these layers represent the deeper portion of the epidermis where the cells have not yet transformed into the dead, horny material found in the superficial cornified layer.12