Skin Anatomy and Physiology Quiz

Questions and Answers

Which statement about the papillary layer of the skin is correct?

It is the thickest layer of the dermis.

It contains hair follicles and apocrine glands.

It provides nutrients to the epidermis and regulates temperature. (correct)

It primarily consists of adipose tissue.

What is the primary function of Langerhans cells?

Secreting sweat for thermoregulation.

Housing hair follicles.

Producing skin pigmentation.

Acting as antigen presenting cells. (correct)

What distinguishes thick skin from thin skin?

Thick skin is only found on the face.

Thick skin does not contain hair follicles. (correct)

Thick skin has more sebaceous glands than thin skin.

Thick skin has a thinner dermis compared to thin skin.

What is the structure of the eccrine glands?

Made up of mixed clear and dark cells, secreting a watery fluid. Signup and view all the answers

Which component is NOT part of the pilo-sebaceous unit?

Apocrine gland Signup and view all the answers

What is true about the structure of the hair follicle?

It is composed of the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. Signup and view all the answers

Which gland is associated with body odor?

Apocrine gland Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of the reticular layer of the dermis?

It supports structures like hair follicles and glands. Signup and view all the answers

What is the thickness range of thin skin?

75 to 150 micrometers Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Skin Cells and Layers

Melanocytes: Provide pigmentation to the skin, derived from the neural crest.
Langerhans Cells: Function as antigen-presenting cells that capture soluble antigens and present them as immunogenic peptides to T lymphocytes.

Layers of the Skin

Papillary Layer: Thin top layer of the epidermis composed of connective tissue and blood vessels; supplies nutrients and regulates skin temperature.
Reticular Layer: Contains blood vessels and connective tissue that support the skin; houses hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands.

Hair Follicle Structure

Components: Made up of three parts: cuticle, cortex, and medulla.
Pilo-sebaceous Unit: Comprises sebaceous gland, arrectores pilorum muscle, and hair follicle.

Sweat Glands

Eccrine Gland:
- Distributed across all skin regions.
- Diameter of 30-40 micrometers; secretory duct is 500-700 micrometers long.
- Secretes a watery fluid composed of water and sodium chloride; helps cool the body.
Apocrine Gland:
- Found in armpits and perineal area.
- Diameter ranges from 80-100 micrometers; secretory coil diameter is 800 micrometers.
- Produces viscous fluid and is responsible for body odor; consists of simple columnar epithelium with lobule layers of cuboidal cells.

Types of Skin

Thick Skin:
- Located on palms and soles; thickness of 400-1400 micrometers.
- Features thinner dermis; lacks hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and apocrine glands, but contains eccrine glands.
Thin Skin:
- Found elsewhere on the body; thickness of 75-150 micrometers.
- Has thicker dermis and contains hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and apocrine glands; notably present in eyelids.

Nail Structure

Nail Bed: Located beneath the nail plate, extending from lunula to hyponychium; consists of a monolayer basal layer and spinous layer, while lacking stratum granulosum.

Cell Junctions

Desmosomes: Cell-to-cell junctions that appear as spiky projections on histology; also referred to as prickle cells.

Description

Test your knowledge on the structure and function of skin cells and layers. This quiz covers key components such as melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and skin layers while exploring the intricacies of hair follicles and sweat glands.