Skin anatomy, burns, and trauma concepts (VOCABULARY flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards emphasizing key terms and definitions from the skin, trauma, burns, and anatomy lecture notes.

Trauma injury

Injury to the skin caused by extreme heat, cold, or mechanical damage, involving skin and potentially deeper tissues.

Burn

A type of trauma to skin resulting from heat, cold, chemicals, or electricity; severity depends on depth and size.

First-degree burn

A superficial burn affecting only the epidermis, producing redness and pain.

Epidermis

The superficial, avascular layer of skin made of stratified squamous epithelium; barrier against environment.

Dermis

The deeper skin layer containing nerves, blood vessels, glands, and connective tissue; divided into papillary and reticular regions.

Papillary dermis

Superficial part of the dermis; loose areolar connective tissue; forms dermal papillae that project into the epidermis.

Reticular dermis

Deeper dermal layer; dense irregular connective tissue with collagen and elastin; contains cleavage lines.

Dermal papillae

Projections of the papillary dermis into the epidermis; increase surface area and anchor layers, contributing to friction ridges.

Friction ridges

Ridges on the skin (fingerprints) formed by dermal papillae; enhance grip; sweat pores open on these ridges.

Keratin

Structural protein in epidermal cells; forms a protective, thicker layer in thick skin.

Thick skin

Skin with a thick stratum corneum and keratin layer, found on palms and soles.

Thin skin

Skin with a thinner keratin layer; lacks the very thick protective layer seen in thick skin.

Stratified squamous epithelium

Tissue type that makes up the epidermis; multiple cell layers of flat cells.

Epidermis is avascular

Epidermis lacks blood vessels; receives nourishment from the underlying dermis.

Dermal-epidermal junction

The boundary between the epidermis and dermis where exchange and sensation occur and which anchors the two layers.

Nerve endings at the dermal-epidermal junction

Most cutaneous nerve endings reside near this boundary, enabling skin sensation.

Langerhans cells (dendritic cells)

Antigen-presenting immune cells in the epidermis with scavenger-like functions.

Melanocytes / Melanin

Pigment-producing cells in the epidermis; melanin protects against UV radiation and determines skin color.

Merkel cells (tactile cells)

Sensory cells in the epidermis associated with the sense of touch.

Palm method (burn size estimation)

Estimating burn extent by using the patient’s palm (including fingers) as roughly 1% of total body surface area.

Sweat glands on friction ridges

Sweat glands open onto the skin along friction ridges (fingerprints), aiding grip and moisture regulation.

Nail plate

Hard keratin plate that sits on and moves over the nail bed.

Nail bed

Skin beneath the nail plate that supports nail growth and contains tissue for nourishment.

Proximal nail fold / Eponychium

Skin fold at the base of the nail; the eponychium (cuticle) covers the nail matrix.

Cleavage lines

Lines of skin tension in the reticular dermis due to collagen orientation; incisions along these lines heal with less scarring.