NIC Esthetician Written ExamScientific ConceptsMedium
A client is preparing for a chemical peel and asks about the purpose of the acid solution. The esthetician explains that the acid works by dissolving the intercellular 'glue' that holds dead skin cells together, allowing for their exfoliation. Which type of chemical bond is primarily targeted by this mechanism?
- AIonic bonds
- BDesmosomal junctions
- CPeptide bonds
- DDisulfide bonds
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Desmosomal junctions
Chemical peels often work by targeting desmosomal junctions, which are cell-to-cell adhesion structures that act as 'glue' holding keratinocytes together in the stratum corneum, facilitating exfoliation.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between oppositely charged ions, not the primary intercellular adhesion in the stratum corneum.
- C. Peptide bonds link amino acids in proteins and are not the primary target for exfoliation of dead skin cells.
- D. Disulfide bonds are crucial for protein structure, especially in hair and some skin proteins, but not the main 'glue' for dead cell adhesion.
Desmosomal Junctions
Specialized cell junctions that provide strong adhesion between adjacent keratinocytes in the epidermis, essential for skin integrity.
- Cell-to-cell adhesion structures
- Found in the epidermis, especially stratum spinosum
- Targeted by chemical exfoliants for desquamation
Memory trick: Desmosomes are the 'door-mats' that glue skin cells together.