SKIN HISTOLOGY & THE EPIDERMIS:
The skin is composed of two layers, the outer epidermis, or epithelium (E), and the underlying dermis. The epithelium has two basic layers: stratum corneum and stratum germinativum. The stratum corneum (SC) is the layer of dead epithelial cells and keratin that forms a protective barrier over the underlying living cells. The stratum germinativum (SG) is the living, growing part of the epidermis; as the cells mature, they gradually move up towards the surface of the skin where they die and become part of the stratum corneum.
