Prepare for the Tissue Injury, Healing, and Pain Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations. Ensure you're ready for the exam!

Multiple Choice

Re-epithelialization is driven by which cells?

Re-epithelialization is driven by keratinocytes—the cells that make up the epidermis. After a skin injury, keratinocytes at the wound edges become activated and migrate across the wound bed as a sheet, using cytoskeletal changes to crawl over the provisional matrix. They then proliferate to rebuild the epidermal layer and restore the barrier function, which is essential to prevent fluid loss and infection. While other cells contribute to healing—fibroblasts build granulation tissue and lay down collagen, endothelial cells form new blood vessels to nourish the tissue, and macrophages clear debris and modulate inflammation—the direct process of re-epithelialization is carried out by keratinocytes migrating and multiplying to restore the epidermis.

Re-epithelialization is driven by keratinocytes—the cells that make up the epidermis. After a skin injury, keratinocytes at the wound edges become activated and migrate across the wound bed as a sheet, using cytoskeletal changes to crawl over the provisional matrix. They then proliferate to rebuild the epidermal layer and restore the barrier function, which is essential to prevent fluid loss and infection. While other cells contribute to healing—fibroblasts build granulation tissue and lay down collagen, endothelial cells form new blood vessels to nourish the tissue, and macrophages clear debris and modulate inflammation—the direct process of re-epithelialization is carried out by keratinocytes migrating and multiplying to restore the epidermis.