Which statement about the dermis is true?

• A. It contains connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve fibers, hair follicles, and sweat glands.
• B. It contains only dead cells
• C. It is the outermost layer
• D. It is comprised solely of adipose tissue

Answer: (A)

The dermis is a living, vascular connective tissue layer that lies beneath the epidermis. It contains collagen and elastin, making it strong and flexible, and houses fibroblasts, blood vessels, nerve fibers, hair follicles, and sweat glands. These components support nourishment, sensation, temperature regulation, and hair growth. It’s not the outermost layer—that’s the epidermis, which has several layers of dead cells at the surface—and it’s not mainly adipose tissue (that’s the hypodermis beneath the dermis). So the statement listing connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve fibers, hair follicles, and sweat glands correctly describes the dermis.