A burn patient has damage extending through the epidermis and into the papillary layer of the dermis, but not into the reticular layer. Which of the following functions of the skin... A burn patient has damage extending through the epidermis and into the papillary layer of the dermis, but not into the reticular layer. Which of the following functions of the skin would still be intact?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking which skin function remains intact after a burn damages the epidermis and papillary dermis, but not the reticular dermis. We need to consider the location of structures responsible for each function to determine which would be unaffected by the burn.
Answer
The skin's ability to regenerate itself.
Since the burn extends through the epidermis and into the papillary layer of the dermis, but not the reticular layer, the skin's ability to repair itself via the regeneration of the basal layer of keratinocytes would still be intact.
Answer for screen readers
Since the burn extends through the epidermis and into the papillary layer of the dermis, but not the reticular layer, the skin's ability to repair itself via the regeneration of the basal layer of keratinocytes would still be intact.
More Information
The dermis contains nerve endings, hair follicles, and sweat glands. Since the burn does not extend into the reticular layer, some skin functions are still intact.
Tips
It is important to understand the different layers of the skin (epidermis, dermis- papillary and reticular layers).
Sources
- Burn Debridement, Grafting, and Reconstruction - StatPearls - NCBI - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Thermal Burns: Overview, Pathophysiology, Quantifying Burn Severity - emedicine.medscape.com
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