NUR 631 ACTUAL Exam
1 LATEST 2025-2026
EXAM WITH QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS GRADED A+
Epidermis - ANSWER-· Most superficial layer of skin
· Thin avascular, relies on the underlying vascularized dermis for nutrition
· Composed of stratified squamous epithelium (flat, dead cells filled with keratin, helps
make our skin waterproof)
· Composed of two layers: stratum corneum & stratum basale/stratum spinosum
• The Stratum corneum is the outer horny layer composed of dead keratinized cells.
• The inner cellular layer, is the stratum basale and the stratum spinosum, also known
as the malpighian layer, where both melanin and keratin are formed. Migration from the
inner to the outer layer takes approximately 1 month."
Dermis - ANSWER-· 2nd layer, made up of richly vascularized connective tissue
· Contains blood vessels, hair follicles and sensory nerves
,· Supports and separates the epidermis from the subcutaneous layer
· Dermal blood nourishes the epidermis
· Merges with adipose
· If you cut yourself and you notice that you are bleeding ten you have got into the
dermis layer
Subcutaneous tissue - ANSWER-· Hypodermis
· Composed of loose connective tissue filled with subcutaneous (adipose cells, fatty
cells)
· Functions: 1. connects the dermis to underlying organs 2. generates heat and provides
insulation 3. protective cushion 4. provides (reserve for) calories
Skin Color - ANSWER-· Depends on the amount & type of melanin (brownish pigment,
genetically determined and increases with exposure to sun)
· Also influenced by:
• Vascular structures
• Changing hemodynamics (ex: pallor due to anemia, cyanosis due to hypoxia)
• Changes in carotene & bilirubin
• Carotene a yellow pigment found in subcutaneous fat and keratinized areas such as
the palms & soles
• Bilirubin is a yellow/brown pigment due to the breakdown of heme in red blood cells
Hair - ANSWER-· Adults have two types of hair:
• Vellus hair (short, fine, inconspicuous and unpigmented)
• Terminal hair (coarser, thicker, pigmented)
• Scalp hair and eyebrows are terminal hair
Nails - ANSWER-· Protect the ends of the fingers
· Base of the nail is the nail plate
· The nail plate gets its pink color from the vascularized nail bed which it is attached to
· The white half moon is the lunula
· Cuticle functions as a protective seal
· Lateral nail folds cover the sides of the nail plate
· Fingernails grow approx 0.1mm daily (toenails grow slower)
· Another appendage of the skin.
· Cross section of the fingertip
· Pilosebaceous - ANSWER-• Oil glands that secrete a fatty substance onto the skin
surface through hair follicles
• On all skin surfaces except palms & soles
· Sweat glands - ANSWER-• Two types eccrine & apocrine
• Eccrine: widely distributed, open directly to the skin, help control temperature
• Apocrine: in axilla and genital regions, open into hair follicles, bacterial decomposition
responsible for adult body odor.
, Macules - ANSWER-· flat, non palpable, usually
• < 1 cm in diameter (freckles, flat moles)
Patch - ANSWER-· circumscribed flat area of change
in color >1cm
Papules - ANSWER-· elevated, usually < 1 cm
• in diameter that can be palpated (warts, acne, skin cancers)
Plaques - ANSWER-palpable, > 1 cm in diameter, either elevated or depressed
(psoriasis)
Nodules - ANSWER-· are firm papules or lesions that extend into the dermis or
subcutaneous tissue, >1cm
• (cyst or lipoma)
Vesicles - ANSWER-small, clear, fluid-fille blisters < 1 cm in diameter (contact
dermatitis, HSV)
Bullae - ANSWER-· are clear fluid-filled blisters
• > 1 cm in diameter
Pustules - ANSWER-· are vesicles that contain purulent fluid
• common in bacterial
• infection or folliculitis
scale - ANSWER-is heaped-up accumulations of horny epithelium (flakey
Urticaria - ANSWER-(wheals or hives) elevated lesions caused by localized edema.
Wheals are pruritic and red
Crusts (scabs - ANSWER-consist of dried serum, blood, or pus
Erosions - ANSWER-are open areas of skin that result from loss of part or all of the
epidermis
Fissures - ANSWER-linear cleft into the dermis or epidermis
Ulcers - ANSWER-result from loss of the epidermis and at least part of the dermis
Petechiae - ANSWER-· are nonblanchable punctate foci of hemorrhage
Petechiae are never normal and may be due to low plt, leukemia, DIC (can be seen with
sepsis), ITP (which is when your immune system attacks platelets), vasculitis,
endocarditis or disseminated gonococcal infections, liver disease along with other
causes
1 LATEST 2025-2026
EXAM WITH QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS GRADED A+
Epidermis - ANSWER-· Most superficial layer of skin
· Thin avascular, relies on the underlying vascularized dermis for nutrition
· Composed of stratified squamous epithelium (flat, dead cells filled with keratin, helps
make our skin waterproof)
· Composed of two layers: stratum corneum & stratum basale/stratum spinosum
• The Stratum corneum is the outer horny layer composed of dead keratinized cells.
• The inner cellular layer, is the stratum basale and the stratum spinosum, also known
as the malpighian layer, where both melanin and keratin are formed. Migration from the
inner to the outer layer takes approximately 1 month."
Dermis - ANSWER-· 2nd layer, made up of richly vascularized connective tissue
· Contains blood vessels, hair follicles and sensory nerves
,· Supports and separates the epidermis from the subcutaneous layer
· Dermal blood nourishes the epidermis
· Merges with adipose
· If you cut yourself and you notice that you are bleeding ten you have got into the
dermis layer
Subcutaneous tissue - ANSWER-· Hypodermis
· Composed of loose connective tissue filled with subcutaneous (adipose cells, fatty
cells)
· Functions: 1. connects the dermis to underlying organs 2. generates heat and provides
insulation 3. protective cushion 4. provides (reserve for) calories
Skin Color - ANSWER-· Depends on the amount & type of melanin (brownish pigment,
genetically determined and increases with exposure to sun)
· Also influenced by:
• Vascular structures
• Changing hemodynamics (ex: pallor due to anemia, cyanosis due to hypoxia)
• Changes in carotene & bilirubin
• Carotene a yellow pigment found in subcutaneous fat and keratinized areas such as
the palms & soles
• Bilirubin is a yellow/brown pigment due to the breakdown of heme in red blood cells
Hair - ANSWER-· Adults have two types of hair:
• Vellus hair (short, fine, inconspicuous and unpigmented)
• Terminal hair (coarser, thicker, pigmented)
• Scalp hair and eyebrows are terminal hair
Nails - ANSWER-· Protect the ends of the fingers
· Base of the nail is the nail plate
· The nail plate gets its pink color from the vascularized nail bed which it is attached to
· The white half moon is the lunula
· Cuticle functions as a protective seal
· Lateral nail folds cover the sides of the nail plate
· Fingernails grow approx 0.1mm daily (toenails grow slower)
· Another appendage of the skin.
· Cross section of the fingertip
· Pilosebaceous - ANSWER-• Oil glands that secrete a fatty substance onto the skin
surface through hair follicles
• On all skin surfaces except palms & soles
· Sweat glands - ANSWER-• Two types eccrine & apocrine
• Eccrine: widely distributed, open directly to the skin, help control temperature
• Apocrine: in axilla and genital regions, open into hair follicles, bacterial decomposition
responsible for adult body odor.
, Macules - ANSWER-· flat, non palpable, usually
• < 1 cm in diameter (freckles, flat moles)
Patch - ANSWER-· circumscribed flat area of change
in color >1cm
Papules - ANSWER-· elevated, usually < 1 cm
• in diameter that can be palpated (warts, acne, skin cancers)
Plaques - ANSWER-palpable, > 1 cm in diameter, either elevated or depressed
(psoriasis)
Nodules - ANSWER-· are firm papules or lesions that extend into the dermis or
subcutaneous tissue, >1cm
• (cyst or lipoma)
Vesicles - ANSWER-small, clear, fluid-fille blisters < 1 cm in diameter (contact
dermatitis, HSV)
Bullae - ANSWER-· are clear fluid-filled blisters
• > 1 cm in diameter
Pustules - ANSWER-· are vesicles that contain purulent fluid
• common in bacterial
• infection or folliculitis
scale - ANSWER-is heaped-up accumulations of horny epithelium (flakey
Urticaria - ANSWER-(wheals or hives) elevated lesions caused by localized edema.
Wheals are pruritic and red
Crusts (scabs - ANSWER-consist of dried serum, blood, or pus
Erosions - ANSWER-are open areas of skin that result from loss of part or all of the
epidermis
Fissures - ANSWER-linear cleft into the dermis or epidermis
Ulcers - ANSWER-result from loss of the epidermis and at least part of the dermis
Petechiae - ANSWER-· are nonblanchable punctate foci of hemorrhage
Petechiae are never normal and may be due to low plt, leukemia, DIC (can be seen with
sepsis), ITP (which is when your immune system attacks platelets), vasculitis,
endocarditis or disseminated gonococcal infections, liver disease along with other
causes
