Which statements correctly describe the two divisions of the epidermis and their contents?

• A. Lower epidermis contains hair follicles; upper epidermis contains sensory receptors.
• B. Both layers contain only living cells.
• C. The epidermis is made of fat cells in the lower layer.
• D. Lower epidermis contains melanocytes, keratinocytes and Langerhans cells; upper epidermis contains two layers of dead cells forming a physical barrier.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how the epidermis is organized into living, inner layers and a outer, dead-cell layer, with different cell types in each part. In the deeper, living portion, you find melanocytes (pigment producers), keratinocytes (the main epidermal cells that form the barrier as they mature), and Langerhans cells (immune sentinels). The outer region is made up of dead keratinocytes that have keratinized and lost their nuclei, stacking up to create a strong, protective barrier at the surface. Hair follicles and most sensory receptors sit in the dermis, not in the epidermis, and the epidermis is not composed of fat cells—that's found in the underlying tissues. So this description accurately matches what the two divisions contain and why they function as a protective skin barrier.