Definition of epidermis – What is, Meaning and Concept

Epidermis It is a Latin word that comes from a Greek word. It is a concept of the anatomy which refers to ectodermal tissue that covers the body surface of animal species and differently from plant species. In vertebrates, this epithelium is made up of successive layers of cells that overlap, while invertebrates are covered by a single layer.

The epidermis is, in the Humans and in the rest of the vertebrate species, the superficial layer of the skin. This is the largest organ, weighing approximately 5 kilograms in the homo sapiens and a thickness that fluctuates between 0.5 and 4 millimeters.

The skin It is a protection that preserves the body from external agents and that determines the structure of the so-called skin attachments, like hair and nails.

The diseases of the skin are known as dermatitis and are treated by the dermatology. Acne and psoriasis are some of the most common skin disorders.

The keratin It is the main component of the epidermis. The melaninFor its part, it is the pigment that gives the skin its color. It is possible to distinguish various layers in the epidermis, such as the germinative, the spiny, the granular, the lucid, the corneal and the disjunct.

Vegetable epidermis

In the field of flora, the epidermis is a membrane or tissue formed by a layer of cells that are attached to each other, it is found in stems, leaves and roots of all young plants. In some cases, they are reinforced on the outside with lipid-type materials, forming the cutin, an absolutely waterproof layer.

The function of the plant epidermis is to protect the plant from the aggression of those external agents that could damage it, prevent it from drying out (limiting perspiration, specifying the gas exchange with the environment and secreting certain substances to preserve it from the effects of sun and weather) and act as support; in the root areas, it is what enables the absorption of minerals and water.

Since prehistoric times living beings are affected by various diseases, but in the case of plants, above all they have become as a consequence of the presence of man as farmer and the transformation of land and the agents involved in plant life. In addition, with the insertion of varieties of Exotic plants In the various regions, pests and diseases also arrived with them and when the balance in the natural environment was broken, they have proliferated in an accelerated way.

According to certain studies, between 10% and 20% of the total crop in the world is lost due to diseases in the epidermis.

There are two large groups of pests that affect the plant epidermis, the parasitic, caused by contact with animals, other plants or certain environmental viruses, and non parasitic, caused by physiological issues caused by meteorological accidents or the shortage of certain essential nutrients for the life of the species.

The living beings that most affect the epidermis of plants are insects, according to the plant species there are various living beings that threaten their life.

Among the mammals the most dangerous are rodents and insectivores, not only because they feed on plants and are capable of destroying entire fields of crops, but also because they dig tunnels in the earth, cutting off the plants. plant roots.

Another dangerous species is the nematodesThe collars are microscopic worms that feed on the leaves and stems of plants, they are difficult to discover given their size, but the damage they cause to plants in many cases is extreme.