Dermis

The dermis is a layer of skin between the epidermis (with which it makes up the cutis) and subcutaneous tissues, that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. It is divided into two layers, the superficial area adjacent to the epidermis called the papillary region and a deep thicker area known as the reticular dermis. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis through a basement membrane. Structural components of the dermis are collagen, elastic fibers, and extrafibrillar matrix. It also contains mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and thermoreceptors that provide the sense of heat. In addition, hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands, lymphatic vessels and blood vessels are present in the dermis. Those blood vessels provide nourishment and waste removal for both dermal and epidermal cells.

Structure

The dermis is composed of three major types of cells:fibroblasts, macrophages, and adipocytes.

Apart from these cells, the dermis is also composed of matrix components such as collagen (which provides strength), elastin (which provides elasticity), and extrafibrillar matrix, an extracellular gel-like substance primarily composed of glycosaminoglycans (most notably hyaluronan), proteoglycans, and glycoproteins.

DermIS (Dermatology Information System)

The DermIS (Dermatology Internet Service or Dermatology Information System) is a web site providing images and information on diagnosis in dermatology. It is a project of the Department of Clinical Social Medicine of the University of Heidelberg and the Department of Dermatology of the University of Erlangen, and provides information in seven languages: Turkish, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German and English. It includes the Dermatology Online Atlas (DOIA), a database of images of conditions.

References

See also

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