Question

As a student in an esthetic program, Hannah is tasked with building a three-dimensional model of the layers of the skin. Her model must include captions describing each skin layer and connect skin histology and physiology to esthetics. Hannah visits a craft store to purchase supplies from which she will construct her model.

In particular, she notes that daughter cells produced by mitosis of stem cells in the stratum germinativum _____.

a) Migrate to the stratum corneum
b) Differentiate into melanocytes
c) Enter the dermis
d) Move towards the stratum granulosum

Answer 1

Daughter cells produced by mitosis in the stratum germinativum migrate to the stratum corneum, going through a process of differentiation, maturation, and eventually desquamation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Daughter cells produced by mitosis of stem cells in the stratum germinativum (also known as stratum basale) migrate to the stratum corneum as they differentiate and mature. The stratum basale is the deepest layer of the epidermis, where mitosis occurs, producing new cells. As new cells are generated, older keratinocytes are pushed towards the skin's surface through the various layers, eventually reaching the stratum corneum where they are sloughed off.

During this process, the cells differentiate, meaning they acquire different roles on their journey upward. Initially, they become part of the stratum spinosum and then the stratum granulosum, eventually dying and forming the stratum corneum. Melanocytes, which also reside in the stratum basale, contribute to this process by transferring melanin to keratinocytes to protect the skin from UV rays.