Word parts
epi- on, uponderm/o skin
What it means
The top layer of the skin, the one we can see. It has no blood vessels of its own and gets its nourishment from the dermisDER-misThe thick layer of skin under the epidermis that holds blood vessels, nerves, hair roots and glands.derm/o skinFull entry below. Its outer cells are dead and flat and are shed all the time, while new cells form at its base. It keeps germs out and water in, and it holds the cells that give skin its color.
At a glance
| Spanish | epidermis |
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Related terms
wound
A break or injury in the skin or the tissue under it.
abrasion
A scrape: a wound where the top layer of skin has been rubbed or worn away.
cutane/o
A word root that means skin; derm/o and dermat/o mean the same.
dermis
The thick layer of skin under the epidermis that holds blood vessels, nerves, hair roots and glands.