Library · Histology
Hypodermis
Make it clearer
The skin has three layers, and the hypodermis is the last one, the deepest one of all. It is also called subcutaneous tissue, which literally means below the skin. It is made mostly of adipose tissue, which is the technical name for fat.
It sits right between the dermis, the middle layer, and the organs that lie underneath. And there it does three things. Its fat cushions, so a blow does not land straight on muscle or bone, and it insulates, so you lose less heat. It also ties things down: it is what connects the skin to what is below, so the skin does not hang loose. It is the padding between the tablecloth and the table: it cushions and keeps the cloth from coming loose.
The fat here is not just there for show, either. It is where the body stores lipids, the fats it keeps as an energy reserve, and it plays a role in the production of vitamin D.
In brief
The hypodermis is the third and deepest layer of the skin, and it is made up mostly of adipose tissue.
It sits between the dermis and the organs below; by storing fat it cushions and insulates, and it also connects the skin to structures such as muscle.
The padding between the tablecloth and the table: it cushions and keeps the cloth from coming loose.
That same adipose tissue is key for storing lipids and for vitamin D production.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingHistology, Skin, StatPearlsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Integument, StatPearlsPublished
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