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.

To simulate the _____, the cells that comprise 95 percent of the epidermis, Hannah plans to use clay, which she can pinch off to simulate the division of _____ cells in the basal layer.

a) Melanocytes, Keratinocytes
b) Langerhans cells, Merkel cells
c) Keratinocytes, Melanocytes
d) Merkel cells, Langerhans cells

Answer 1

Hannah should represent keratinocytes with clay to simulate the primary cell type of the epidermis, which divide and differentiate from the basal layer to form the skin's outer layers. The correct pairing is melanocytes in the basal layer and keratinocytes as the main cell type.

Step-by-step explanation:

To simulate the keratinocytes, the cells that comprise 95 percent of the epidermis, Hannah plans to use clay, which she can pinch off to simulate the division of cells in the basal layer. The correct answer is a) Melanocytes, Keratinocytes. This is because keratinocytes are the primary type of cell found in the epidermis, making up about 90 percent of the cells there. They originate from the basal layer, continuously dividing and differentiating to form the outer layers of the skin. On the other hand, melanocytes are present in the basal layer and are responsible for producing the pigment melanin, giving the skin its color. The complex interaction between these cells is crucial for skin histology and physiology, particularly in the context of esthetics.