FreeMD® Basal Cell Carcinoma: Anatomy

Basal Cell Carcinoma Anatomy

The skin contains three main layers:

The superficial layer that makes up the surface of the skin
It is composed of skin cells and can be divided into 5 layers based on cell type.
The top layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, is made of dead, flat skin cells that shed about every 2 weeks.
The thickness of the epidermis varies, according to location: it is very thick over the soles of the feet, and very thin over the ears.

Lies beneath the epidermis
Also varies in thickness depending on the location of the skin. It is .3 mm on the eyelid and 3.0 mm on the back.
The dermis is composed of 2 layers that contain a connective tissue called collagen
The dermis contains blood vessels, nerves, sweat glands, and hair follicles.
The number of structures in the dermis varies, according to location.
The dermis under the arms contains more sweat glands and hair follicles than the dermis on the back.