What is the hypodermis and what does it do?

• A. Outer protective layer of skin
• B. Middle layer with hair follicles
• C. Glandular layer producing sweat
• D. Bottom layer of skin, insulates your body, stores energy, and connects your skin to your muscles and bones

Answer: (D)

The hypodermis, or subcutaneous layer, is the deepest layer of skin, lying beneath the dermis. It is made mainly of loose connective tissue and fat. This layer provides insulation to help regulate body temperature, stores extra energy as fat, and cushions the body to protect underlying muscles and bones. It also helps anchor the skin to deeper tissues and contains larger blood vessels and nerves that supply the skin. It isn’t the outer protective epidermis, nor the middle dermis where hair follicles and glands are located, and it isn’t the glandular layer that produces sweat in the dermis.