Feathered skin

Feathered skin of a chicken (HE): epidermis and dermis

The epidermis of the feathered skin is generally thin. It consists of a stratum germinativum and a stratum corneum. The stratum germinativum can be divided in a stratum basale, a stratum intermedium and a stratum transitivum. The cells in this stratum transitivum can be vacuolised but don't contain keratohyalin granules as in the mammalian stratum granulosum. When no vacuoles are present, these cells stain very dark. (The Nomina Anatomica Avium considers the stratum germinativum as part of the stratum intermedium, not as a separate stratum.)

The dermis can be divided in a superficial layer (stratum superficiale) and a deep layer (stratum profundum). There are no dermal papilla. In the superficial layer, a capillar layer with sinus capillaries can be present. The deep layer consists of a dense layer (stratum compactum) with underneath a loose layer (stratum laxum).

In the pterylae, the stratum superficiale and stratum compactum of the dermis are thin and hard to distinguish from each other. When present, the sinus capillaries mark the border between the two layers.