The epidermis is a conveyor belt. New cells are born at the bottom, get pushed up through five layers, fill with keratin and die, and flake off the top — a ~month-long trip. Watch a cell make the journey.
The epidermis
The epidermisfive layers, bottom to top
The strata (top → bottom)
💡 Mnemonic: “Come, Let's Get Sun Burned” — Corneum, Lucidum, Granulosum, Spinosum, Basale (top → bottom).
📷 Reference image
A real labeled figure to compare with the interactive above.
The Five Epidermal Strata — OpenStax, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)