Which skin layer is avascular and contains many nerve endings?

Which skin layer is avascular and contains many nerve endings?

• A. Epidermis
• B. Dermis
• C. Stratum germinativum
• D. True layer

Answer: (A)

The outermost skin layer fits this description. It has no blood vessels of its own, so nutrients diffuse from the underlying dermis instead. Despite being avascular, it contains sensory nerve endings that allow you to feel touch, heat, cold, and pain. The deeper parts of this layer also include specialized cells involved in light touch. In contrast, the dermis is vascular and rich in nerves, so it isn’t avascular. The deeper basal sublayer is part of this same avascular sheet, but naming the entire outer layer as avascular with nerve endings is the most accurate overall description.

The outermost skin layer fits this description. It has no blood vessels of its own, so nutrients diffuse from the underlying dermis instead. Despite being avascular, it contains sensory nerve endings that allow you to feel touch, heat, cold, and pain. The deeper parts of this layer also include specialized cells involved in light touch. In contrast, the dermis is vascular and rich in nerves, so it isn’t avascular. The deeper basal sublayer is part of this same avascular sheet, but naming the entire outer layer as avascular with nerve endings is the most accurate overall description.