Publisher Summary This chapter reviews cell replacement in epidermis (keratopoiesis) via
discrete units of proliferation. Dorsal or ear epidermis from mice is studied. For mouse
epidermis, the data indicate that the tissue is subdivided into discrete units of proliferation,
each with a certain autonomy but not independent of the neighboring units because they
have to interact to produce an effective surface barrier. Each unit is maintained and
dependent upon a group of about ten basal cells, one of which would appear to be a stem …