Anatomy and Physiology
What this domain tests
Anatomy and physiology questions focus on the skin, facial bones, muscles, nerves, and circulation as they relate to safe facial services. Expect layer identification, skin functions, and the structures you must avoid or protect during massage and extractions.
Core rules
- Epidermis layers from deep to superficial: basale, spinosum, granulosum, lucidum (palms and soles), corneum. Melanocytes sit in the basale layer; the corneum is the barrier.
- The dermis has papillary and reticular layers and contains collagen, elastin, blood vessels, nerves, glands, and hair follicles. Subcutaneous tissue cushions and insulates.
- Skin functions include protection, sensation, thermoregulation, excretion, secretion, absorption, and vitamin D synthesis.
- Facial bones include frontal, zygomatic, maxilla, mandible, nasal, and temporal. Muscles of expression include orbicularis oculi and oris, zygomaticus, buccinator, and occipitofrontalis; masseter and temporalis are muscles of mastication.
- The trigeminal nerve carries facial sensation; the facial nerve carries motor control to muscles of expression. Know the difference for questions about numbness versus weakness.
Worked example
A question asks where melanocytes are located. Reasoning: melanin-producing cells must sit near the dividing basal cells and transfer pigment to keratinocytes, so the answer is the stratum basale, not the stratum corneum. The corneum is mostly dead keratinized cells and cannot synthesize melanin.
Traps
Confusing sebaceous glands (oil) with sudoriferous glands (sweat); saying the epidermis contains blood vessels; mixing sensory trigeminal with motor facial nerve; massaging over infected or inflamed tissue.