Epidermis

A finger-like projection, or fold, known as the ______ _______ (plural = ______ ________ ) is found in the superficial portion of the dermis.

dermal papilla; papillae

The __________ interlock with each other and strengthen the bond between the cells.

desmosomes

_______ is an intracellular fibrous protein that gives hair, nails, and skin their hardness and water-resistant properties.

Keratin

Interspersed among the keratinocytes of the stratum spinosum layer is a type of dendritic cell called the __________ cell, which functions as a macrophage by engulfing bacteria, foreign particles, and damaged cells that occur in this layer.

Langerhans

______ cell, a basal cell, which functions as a receptor and is responsible for stimulating sensory nerves that the brain perceives as touch.

Merkel

These cells are especially abundant on the surfaces of the hands and feet.

Merkel cells

"_____ ____" is found only on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It has a fifth layer, called the stratum lucidum, located between the stratum corneum and the stratum granulosum

Thick skin

The epidermis does not have any blood vessels within it (i.e., it is _________ ).

avascular

A _____ cell is a cuboidal-shaped stem cell that is a precursor of the keratinocytes of the epidermis.

basal

The cells in the stratum basale bond to the dermis via intertwining collagen fibers, referred to as the ________ membrane.

basement

The epidermis is epithelium composed of multiple layers of _____.

cells

Dermal papillae increase the strength of the connection between the _________ and ______ .

epidermis; dermis

The stratum basale (also called the stratum ____________ ) is the deepest epidermal layer and attaches the epidermis to the basal lamina, below which lie the layers of the dermis.

germinativum

The stratum __________ has a grainy appearance due to further changes to the keratinocytes as they are pushed from the stratum spinosum.

granulosum

A ____________ is a cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin.

keratinocyte

The cells in all of the layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes.

keratinocytes

The stratum spinosum is composed of eight to 10 layers of _____________ , formed as a result of cell division in the stratum basale.

keratinocytes

A __________ , a cell that produces the pigment melanin, is a basal cell.

melanocyte

All of the keratinocytes are produced from this single layer of cells, which are constantly going through _______ to produce new cells.

mitosis

In a growing fetus, fingerprints form where the cells of the stratum basale meet the ________ of the underlying dermal layer (papillary layer), resulting in the formation of the ridges on your fingers that you recognize as fingerprints.

papillae

As new cells are formed, the existing cells are ______ superficially away from the stratum basale.

pushed

The stratum basale is a ______ layer of cells primarily made of basal cells.

single

The stratum ________ is spiny in appearance due to the protruding cell processes that join the cells via a structure called a desmosome.

spinosum

The epidermis is composed of keratinized, stratified ________ epithelium.

squamous

The keratinocytes in the _______ _______ are dead and regularly slough away, being replaced by cells from the deeper layers.

stratum corneum

Skin that has four layers of cells is referred to as "____ ____." From deep to superficial, these layers are the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, and stratum corneum.

thin skin