Final answer:
Acanthosis refers to skin thickening, while a callus is a thicken caused by repetitive abrasion to protect the skin. Calluses and corns are forms of skin response to injuries. Severe skin damage, such as burns and cancer, underline the importance of skin's integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Acanthosis/Callus?
Acanthosis refers to a thickening of the stratum spinosum layer of the skin, while a callus is a thickened area of skin that arises due to constant abrasion. The formation of a callus is a dermatological response to damage meant to protect the body from further injury. For instance, when wearing ill-fitting shoes, repetitive friction causes basal stem cells in the stratum basale to divide more often, thickening the skin and forming a callus at the points of constant pressure and abrasion. Similarly, corns, which are specialized forms of calluses, occur when abrasions on the skin result from an elliptical motion.
The skin has an impressive ability to repair itself after minor injuries. Injuries such as cuts or burns set off a healing process that involves the formation of a blood clot and eventually a scar. A scar is collagen-rich skin that forms after the wound healing process and looks different from normal skin since it doesn't have accessory structures like hair follicles or sweat glands.
More severe forms of skin damage, like in some cancers and burns, can be life-threatening. Skin cancer arises from mutations to DNA often caused by UV exposure. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma come from cells in different layers of the epidermis and are usually curable, while melanoma is a more dangerous form that can spread to other organs. Third-degree burns penetrate the full thickness of the skin and can be fatal, demonstrating the importance of the skin's integrity in protecting against external threats.