<P> The epidermis and dermis are separated by a thin sheet of fibers called the basement membrane, and is made through the action of both tissues . The basement membrane controls the traffic of the cells and molecules between the dermis and epidermis but also serves, through the binding of a variety of cytokines and growth factors, as a reservoir for their controlled release during physiological remodeling or repair processes . </P> <P> The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain . The dermis provides tensile strength and elasticity to the skin through an extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibrils, microfibrils, and elastic fibers, embedded in hyaluronan and proteoglycans . Skin proteoglycans are varied and have very specific locations . For example, hyaluronan, versican and decorin are present throughout the dermis and epidermis extracellular matrix, whereas biglycan and perlecan are only found in the epidermis . </P> <P> It harbors many mechanoreceptors (nerve endings) that provide the sense of touch and heat through nociceptors and thermoreceptors . It also contains the hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, apocrine glands, lymphatic vessels and blood vessels . The blood vessels in the dermis provide nourishment and waste removal from its own cells as well as for the epidermis . </P> <P> The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis through a basement membrane and is structurally divided into two areas: a superficial area adjacent to the epidermis, called the papillary region, and a deep thicker area known as the reticular region . </P>

Where are the blood vessels of the skin located