Eye of Science

01. Medical science: skin, lateral cut
Electron microscopy

A section through human skin. The skin layers, from top to bottom, are the stratum corneum (flaky, brown), composed of flattened, dead skin cells that form the surface of the skin.

The dead cells from this layer are continuously being shed and replaced by cells from the living epidermal layer below (red) The lowest layer seen here is the dermis (grey-brown, lower centre), a thick layer of fibrous connective tissue that supports and nourishes the epidermis. In the middle, a sweat gland can be seen. Coloured scanning electron micrograph, Magnification: x50.