Textbook Question
Mrs. Gaucher received second-degree burns on her abdomen when she dropped a kettle of boiling water. She asked her doctor (worriedly) if she would need a skin graft. What do you think he told her?
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Ch. 5 The Integumentary System
Marieb, Hoehn11th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874034
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 The Human Body: An Orientation24
- Ch. 2 Chemistry Comes Alive25
- Ch. 3 Cells: The Living Units21
- Ch. 4 Tissue: The Living Fabric20
- Ch. 5 The Integumentary System11
- Ch. 6 Bones and Skeletal Tissues19
- Ch. 7 The Skeleton14
- Ch. 8 Joints7
- Ch. 9 Muscles and Muscle Tissue26
- Ch. 10 The Muscular System26
- Ch. 11 Fundamentals of the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue19
- Ch. 12 The Central Nervous System26
- Ch. 13 The Peripheral Nervous System and Reflex Activity32
- Ch. 14 The Autonomic Nervous System19
- Ch. 15 The Special Senses26
- Ch. 16 The Endocrine System23
- Ch. 17 Blood25
- Ch. 18 The Cardiovascular System: The Heart24
- Ch. 19 The Cardiovascular System: Blood Vessels27
- Ch. 20 The Lymphatic System and Lymphoid Organs and Tissues14
- Ch. 21 The Immune System: Innate and Adaptive Body Defenses27
- Ch. 22 The Respiratory System21
- Ch. 23 The Digestive System31
- Ch. 24 Nutrition, Metabolism, and Energy Balance26
- Ch. 25 The Urinary System26
- Ch. 26 Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance24
- Ch. 27 The Reproductive System24
- Ch. 28 Pregnancy and Human Development25
- Ch. 29 Heredity11
Marieb, Hoehn11th EditionHuman Anatomy & PhysiologyISBN: 9780136874034Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 5, Problem 23
Why are there no skin cancers that originate from stratum corneum cells?
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the structure and function of the stratum corneum: it is the outermost layer of the epidermis, composed mainly of dead, flattened keratinized cells that have lost their nuclei and organelles.
Recognize that cancer originates from cells that are capable of division and replication; since the stratum corneum cells are dead and non-dividing, they cannot undergo the mutations necessary to become cancerous.
Recall that skin cancers typically arise from living cells in the deeper layers of the epidermis, such as the basal layer (stratum basale) or the squamous layer (stratum spinosum), where cells are actively dividing.
Note that the stratum corneum serves as a protective barrier and is constantly shed and replaced by cells from lower layers, so it does not provide a stable environment for cancerous growth.
Conclude that the absence of living, mitotically active cells in the stratum corneum explains why no skin cancers originate from this layer.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Structure and Function of the Stratum Corneum
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermis, composed mainly of dead, flattened keratinized cells. These cells lack nuclei and organelles, making them metabolically inactive and unable to divide or mutate, which is essential for cancer development.
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Epidermal Layers: Stratum Corneum
Cellular Origin of Skin Cancer
Skin cancers typically arise from living cells capable of division and mutation, such as basal cells in the stratum basale or squamous cells in the stratum spinosum. Since the stratum corneum cells are dead and non-dividing, they cannot serve as a source for cancerous growth.
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Role of Cell Proliferation in Cancer Formation
Cancer develops when cells undergo uncontrolled proliferation due to genetic mutations. Only cells with active DNA replication and repair mechanisms, found in the lower epidermal layers, can accumulate mutations leading to cancer, unlike the inert cells of the stratum corneum.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Explain each of these familiar phenomena in terms of what you learned in this chapter:
a. Pimples
b. Dandruff
c. Greasy hair and 'shiny nose
d. Stretch marks from gaining weight
e. Freckles
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Textbook Question
Which epidermal cells contain keratohyaline and lamellar granules?
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Textbook Question
Count Dracula, the most famous vampire, rumored to have killed at least 200,000 people, was based on a real person who lived in eastern Europe about 600 years ago. He was indeed a “monster,” although he was not a real vampire. The historical Count Dracula may have suffered from which of the following?
(a) Porphyria
(b) EB
(c) Halitosis
(d) Vitiligo
Explain your answer.
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