What is the dermis layer?
Your skin has three main layers, and the dermis (corium) is the middle layer of skin in your body. The other two layers of skin are your epidermis and hypodermis. Your dermis layer consists of two layers of its own.
Corium is another name for the dermis. Corium is a Latin word that means “leather” or “skin.”
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What are the two layers of the dermis?
Your dermis consists of two layers:
- Reticular dermis: The reticular layer is the bottom layer of your dermis. It’s thick, and it contains blood vessels, glands, hair follicles, lymphatics, nerves and fat cells. A net-like structure of elastin fibers and collagen fibers surrounds the reticular dermis. These fibers support your skin’s overall structure, as well as allow it to move and stretch.
- Papillary dermis: The papillary layer is the top layer of your dermis. It’s much thinner than the reticular dermis. It consists of collagen fibers, fibroblast cells, fat cells, blood vessels (capillary loops), nerve fibers, touch receptors (Meissner corpuscles) and cells that fight bacteria (phagocytes). The papillary dermis extends to the basem*nt layer of the epidermis layer. They form a strong bond that connects like interlocking fingers.
What is the difference between the dermis and the epidermis?
Your dermis and your epidermis are the top two layers of skin in your body. Your epidermis is the top layer, and your dermis is the middle layer. Your dermis exists between your epidermis and hypodermis.
Your epidermis is the thinnest layer of skin. It helps hydrate your body, produces new skin cells, protects your body from damage and makes melanin, which provides skin color.
While your epidermis is the thinnest layer of skin, your dermis is the thickest layer of skin. Your dermis contains collagen and elastin, which help make your dermis thick and supportive of your skin’s overall structure.
All of your connective tissues, nerve endings, sweat glands, oil glands and hair follicles exist in your dermis.
