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Structure and Function of The Skin

»	Name the three layers of the skin. What composes them?
»	How many layers are there in the epidermis? How are they organized?
»	Do other types of cells normally occur in the epidermis?
»	What is apocopation?
»	Describe the structure of the basement membrane zone (BMZ).
»	How is the structure of the epidermis related to its functions?
»	What structural components of the epidermis are involved in blistering diseases?
»	Are there hereditary diseases of the BMZ and dermis that cause blistering and damage to the skin?
»	Are there acquired blistering diseases of the BMZ and dermis?
»	What abnormalities in structural components of the basement membrane are involved in bullous skin diseases?
»	What is the function of the sebaceous gland?
»	How do the eccrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands differ?
»	How is the dermis organized?
»	What are the components of the dermis?
»	What are the functions of the dermis?
»	Which structural component of the dermis is involved in congenital and autoimmune skin diseases?
»	How does the vasculature of the dermis function in temperature control?
»	How is the skin innervated?
»	Name the two main corpuscular (encapsulated) nerve receptors found in the skin.
»	Is loss of cutaneous sensation very serious?
»	How is the subcutis organized?

Name the two main corpuscular (encapsulated) nerve receptors found in the skin.

- Meissner corpuscle: Found in highest concentration on the papillary ridge of glabrous skin. It is a touch receptor. Mucocutaneous end organs is the name applied to similar corpuscular nerve receptors found on the areola, labia, glans penis, clitoris, perianal canal, eyelids, and lips.

- Pacinian corpuscle: Found in acral areas in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. It has a very distinct capsule associated with multiple lamellated wrapping cells that surround a myelinated axon with an “onion-like” appearance on cross-section. Pacinian corpuscles are mechanoreceptors that respond to vibration.

Some textbooks list other corpuscular nerve receptors including the Ruffini corpuscle (rare, expanded, myelinated, afferent fibers that connect to collagen in digits), Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles (laminated like Pacinian corpuscles, found on fingers with simpler organization), and Krause end bulbs (encapsulated myelinated endings found in the papillary dermis).