Histo Block 4 Flashcards
integumentary, endocrine, reproductive and GI (203 cards)
Identify

- Stratum Corneum
- St. Lucidum
- St. Granulosum
- St. Spinosum
- St. Basale
- Epidermis

What are the three key skin layers?
Epidermis
- stratified squamous epithelium
- various amount of keratinization
- derived from ectoderm
- maintains thickness via process of desquamation
- cathepsin and calpain
- avascular
Dermis
- dense CT
- mechanical support
- derived from mesoderm
Hypodermis
- variable amounts of adipose
Whats another name for St. Basale?
St. germinativum
- remains firmly attached to dermis via tonofilaments, hemidesmosomes and desmosomes
- hemidesmosome attaches to tonofilament
What cell type is circled here (blue) and where is it located (red arrow)?

Melanocyte
- derived from neural crest
- found in St Basale
- no desmosomes
- produce melanin
- eumelanin (brown pigment)
- pheomelanin (red pigment)
- melanin is made via tyrosinase
- tyrosine –> DOPA –> –> Melanin
- regulated by many factors - age, gender, hormones, UV exposure, climate, season …
- donates melanin to surrounding keratinocytes where it goes to nucleus and protects DNA
What are the blue arrows pointing to?

Melanin that has been released from the melanocytes and is now surrouding the nearby keratinocytes
What is circled in this image?

A melanocyte that has already donated its melanin.
Note the shrunken nucleus and clear cytoplasm
What type of cell is melanin most abundant in?

Dividing cells
- melanin granules protects DNA from UV radiaiton
- therefore, in cells that divide more actively, the protection is even more imp
- therefore, highest conc melanin usually in cells more deeply localized
- benign accmulation in mole and nevi
Albinism - lack of melanin; likely due to lack of tyrosinase (enzyme that produces melanin from tyrosine)
What condition is this?

Leukoderma
- chronic skin condition causing lack of pigment
- results in irregular pale patches of skin
- may be autoimmune
- similar to vitiligo
What kind of cell is this?

-
mechanoreceptors of the epidermis
- nerve supply of the skin
- abundant in finger tips
- associate to adjacent keratinocytes via desmosomes and neurosecretory granules
- terminal bulb of afferent mylenated nerve fibers
- located in st basale
- cannot ID histologically
MCC = merkel cell carcinoma; assoc with immune dysregulation; polyomavirus assoc w 80% cases
What layer is this?

St. Spinosum
- cells are beginning to move to upper layers and flatten out
-
incr # tonofilaments and desmosomes
- desmosomes maintain integrity of epidermis
- Membrane coating granules
- surroudned by single mem
- lamellate appearance
- lipid rich material
- skin impermeable to water
- FA Deficiency causes skin to be more permeable to water
- skin impermeable to water
- Vitamin D made here (as well as in Granulosum)
Name these parts

green - plankophilin
red - plankoglobin
yellow - desmoglein
purple - desmocollin
What characterizes this condition?

Pemphigus Vulgaris –> desmosomes lose their integrity
- blisters
- deep red
- painful
- mucus membranes
- skin
- wide distribuion
desmoglein gene family members are located on c’some 18
What characterizes this condition?

Pemphigus Follicularis –> desmosomes losing their integrity
- blisters
- pinkish
- primarily on skin, wide distribution
- pruritic
Normal pattern of desmogleins in the skin?
DSG1: highest near surface
DSG3: highest near basal layer
Normal patterns of desmogleins in the oral mucosa
DSG1: lowest at top
- different than pattern of epidermis (opposite actually!)
DSG3: highest at basal layer
- same as pattern of epidermis
What is this effect called and what condition is it associated with?

“Tombstoning” associated with Pemphigus Vulgaris
Nikolsky’s sign
see if skin flakes off
twist a pencil eraser against the skin –> if positive, a blister will form in the area ~within minutes
Cell type and location
Langerhans Cell located in St. Spinosum
- originate in bone marrow
- monocyte precursor
- ANTIGEN PRESENTING CELLS - intercept, process and present antigens
- antigen processed and displayed on cell surface
- cell migrates to lymphnode and interacts with T helper lymphocyte
does NOT form desmosomes with neighboring keratinocytes!!!
- irregularly shaped nucleus, clear cytoplasm, st. spinosum
Describe the water barrier
- lipid on outside of plasma membrane
- filagrin protein on inside of plasma membrane
- cross links with tonofilaments
Describe this layer

St. Granulosum
- has lots of granules
- filaggrin protein
- at top layer, lose organnelles = “keratinization”
- lipid lamellae
- Membrane coating granule fuses with PM
- releases lipid content into intracellular space
-
Vitamin D made here (as well as in Spinosum)
*
What layer is this?

St. Lucidum
- part of corneum
- only present in thick skin (ie feet)
- clear, translucent layer
- made up of flat keratinocytes
- cells are filled with keratin
- cells lack nuclei and lack typical organelles
- have desmosomes
Describe this layer

St Corneum
- outermost layer
- protective barrier
- structural stability
- disulfide bonds
- impermeability
- structural stability
- cells LACK: organelles, nuclei
- only have tightly packed tonofilaments
- plasma mem thick b/c inner surface has keratin cross linked with fillagrin
Desquamation
process of shedding one layer of cells from the skin surface every day
- mediated by proteases – cathepsin and calpain – in a pH dependent manner which degrade desmosomes
What type of bonds strengthen the st. corneum?
di-sulfide bonds



































































































