Keratinocyte (source code)

= Keratinocyte

A <keratinocyte> is the principal <epithelial cell> of the epidermis and produces <keratin> intermediate filaments. Dividing <basal keratinocytes> supply descendants that differentiate, move toward the surface and form the protective barrier. <Terminal differentiation> changes both <protein> expression and cellular architecture; the outermost mature <cells> lose their nuclei. This continual renewal separates a proliferative compartment from a mechanically protective surface. <Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th edition by Bruce Alberts and others>[Chapter 22, Epidermis and Its Renewal by Stem Cells]{ref}