Stratum corneum
The stratum corneum as a rule refers to the outermost layer of the epidermis, which is itself the outer layer of the skin. The full name of the stratum corneum of the skin is the stratum corneum epidermidis. The other stratum corneum, the stratum corneum unguis, is the horny compact outer layer of the nail. In Latin "stratum" = "layer" and "corneum" = "horny" so stratum corneum = horny layer.
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stratum corneum n,
pl strata cornea the outer more or less horny part of the epidermis consisting chiefly of layers of dead flattened nonnucleated cells filled with keratin
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horny layer: the outermost layer of the epidermis, consisting of cells that are dead and desquamating. See figure at epidermis.
Medical dictionary.
2011.