Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale
Published on: May 28, 2021
[Xerosis: a dysfunction of the epidermal barrier]
1Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, España.
Abstract:
Xerosis or dry skin is a common skin disorder among the general population. It is characterized clinically by rough, scaly, and often itchy skin. This disorder is present in the course of some dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis, although it can also occur in healthy individuals if a combination of certain etiologic factors is present. It is characterized pathophysiologically by a disrupted stratum corneum, dehydration, and impaired keratinocyte differentiation. Treatment of xerosis should seek to restore physiologic lipids in the epidermis and provide substances that facilitate epidermal differentiation.
Related Concept Videos
Layers of the Epidermis
Stratum Basale
Stratum basale, also known as the stratum germinativum, is the deepest layer of the epidermis. It is composed of a single layer of actively dividing cells called basal cells or basal keratinocytes. These cells constantly undergo cell division to replenish the upper layers of the epidermis. Additionally, melanocytes, which...
Cells of the Epidermis
The cells in all these layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes, a type of cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin. The keratinocytes in the stratum corneum are dead and regularly slough away, being replaced by cells from...
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Sebaceous Glands
These glands that produce the oils on the skin and hair are holocrine glands. The mature...
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...

