ABSTRACT
The skin is the body’s largest organ and consists of two layers with different embryologic origins. The epidermis is derived from ectoderm; it consists of layers of epithelial cells that mature from the basal layer to the surface and finally desquamate, a process taking two to four weeks. The dermis originates from the mesoderm and is on an average 10 times thicker than the epidermis. The dermis consists primarily of fibroblasts that produce the extracellular matrix, especially collagen and elastin; cells of this type confer elasticity to the skin.
