01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Around the entire outside of your body.
02 / Structure & organization
The epidermis is an epithelial barrier above the connective-tissue dermis. The dermis contains vessels, nerves and many skin appendages. Subcutaneous tissue beneath the skin provides variable fat storage, cushioning and attachment to deeper structures.
03 / Function
It helps you feel touch and control body temperature.
04 / Mechanism
The outer layer forms a barrier. A deeper layer contains blood vessels, glands and sensory endings. These structures help you notice touch and temperature while protecting the tissues below. Old surface cells are continually replaced.
Working together: integumentary system
Skin forms a barrier, nerves in the skin notice touch, and sweat helps cool you when it evaporates.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
The epidermis has no blood vessels; nutrients diffuse from below. Keratinization, immune activity, sensory receptors and vascular responses contribute different aspects of skin function.
Check your understanding
Locate the skin in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.