The stratum basale is the deepest layer of the five layers of the epidermis, which is the outer covering of skin in mammal

Mammal

Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...

s. The stratum basale is a continuous layer of cells. It is often described as one cell thick, though it may in fact be two to three cells thick in glabrous (hairless) skin and hyperproliferative epidermis (from a skin disease).

The stratum basale is primarily made up of basal keratinocyte

Keratinocyte

Keratinocytes are the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the human skin, constituting 95% of the cells found there. Those keratinocytes found in the basal layer of the skin are sometimes referred to as "basal cells" or "basal keratinocytes"...

 cells, which can be considered the stem cell

Stem cell

This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...

s of the epidermis. They divide to form the keratinocytes of the stratum spinosum

Stratum spinosum

The stratum spinosum is a layer of the epidermis found between the stratum granulosum and stratum basale. This layer is also referred to as the "spinous" or "prickle-cell" layer. This appearance is due to desmosomal connections of adjacent cells. Keratinization begins in the stratum spinosum....

, which migrate superficially. Other types of cells found within the stratum basale are melanocyte

Melanocyte

-External links: - "Eye: fovea, RPE" - "Integument: pigmented skin"...

s (pigment-producing cells), Langerhans cell

Langerhans cell

Langerhans cells are dendritic cells of the skin and mucosa, and contain large granules called Birbeck granules. They are present in all layers of the epidermis, but are most prominant in the stratum spinosum. They also occur in the papillary dermis, particularly around blood vessels, as well as...

s (immune cells), and Merkel cell

Merkel cell

Merkel cells or Merkel-Ranvier cells are oval receptor cells found in the skin of vertebrates that have synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferents. They are associated with the sense of light touch discrimination of shapes and textures. They can turn malignant and form the skin tumor known as...

s (touch receptors).