Question

Which of the following cells is/are primarily located in the epidermis of healthy human skin?

• A. Keratinocytes
• B. Melanocytes
• C. Oxyntic cells
• D. Goblet cells

Hint:

Only two of the four options are true skin cells; the other two belong to the stomach and gut lining.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

Step 1: Recall the layers and cells of the skin.
Human skin has two main layers: the epidermis on top and the dermis below it.
The epidermis itself is built almost entirely from keratin-producing cells, with a few other cell types mixed in.

Step 2: Check each option against the epidermis.
Keratinocytes make up about 90 percent of epidermal cells and produce the keratin that toughens the skin. They sit in the epidermis, so option (A) is correct.
Melanocytes sit in the deepest layer of the epidermis (the stratum basale) and produce melanin, the pigment that colors skin and protects it from UV light. They also belong in the epidermis, so option (B) is correct.
Oxyntic cells (also called parietal cells) line the stomach and release hydrochloric acid for digestion. They have nothing to do with skin, so option (C) is wrong.
Goblet cells release mucus and sit in the respiratory tract and intestinal lining, not in skin, so option (D) is wrong.

Final Answer:
Keratinocytes and melanocytes are the cells found in the epidermis. \[ \boxed{\text{(A), (B)}} \]