Chapter 15: Medicines optimization: ensuring quality and safety
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Anatomy and physiology
The skin is made up of two layers: the dermis and the epidermis. Within the dermis there is the papillary layer (upper dermal region), which contains capillaries as well as pain and touch receptors. The reticular layer contains blood vessels as well as sweat and oil glands. Both collagen and elastic fibres are found throughout the dermis. Collagen fibres are responsible for the toughness of the dermis. The skin also has a rich nerve supply (Marieb and Hoehn [185]).
There are three types of muscle: skeletal, cardiac and smooth. Skeletal muscles are attached to the body's skeleton and are also known as striated muscle because the fibres appear to be striped (Marieb and Hoehn [185]).
