Final answer:
Keratinocytes help protect the skin from UV damage by accumulating melanin granules, which forms a UV-blocking layer. The balance of melanin production is vital for protecting the skin's DNA while also maintaining proper levels of nutrients like folic acid and vitamin D.
Step-by-step explanation:
Melanocytes and keratinocytes work together in protecting the skin from UV damage when keratinocytes accumulate the melanin granules on their superficial portion, forming a UV-blocking pigment layer. Melanocytes are responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin and helps protect it from UV radiation. Keratinocytes, the predominant cells in the epidermis, receive melanin from melanocytes and then move it to their superficial (upper) layers. There, the accumulated melanin forms a protective layer that absorbs and scatters UV radiation, preventing it from reaching deeper layers of the skin. This process is a crucial mechanism in the skin's defense against the harmful effects of UV radiation, including sunburn and the risk of skin cancer.