Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation and role of epidermal lipid
synthesis. One of the key functions of the epidermis is to form a barrier between the
organism and the outside world. The disruptions of the barrier result in a cascade of events
that ultimately leads to barrier repair. The initial signal that initiates this repair response is
unknown. The exocytosis of preformed lipid-enriched lamellar bodies is the first step in this
response, which is followed by an increase in lipid synthesis in the epidermis. This increase …