Hypoderm

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The innermost layer of skin that lies under the epidermis and contains fatty tissue and connective material
2. The deepest layer of the skin situated below the outer epidermis, composed primarily of adipose and fibrous tissue
3. The subcutaneous tissue forming the lowest skin layer beneath the epidermis, serving to insulate and cushion the body

Etymology: "Hypoderm" is formed from the Greek prefix "hypo-", meaning "under" or "below", and "-derm", from Greek "derma", meaning "skin". Together they describe what lies beneath the skin. In modern biology and anatomy, the term most often refers to the layer of tissue directly beneath the epidermis, the outer skin layer. In invertebrates such as insects and worms, the hypoderm is a cellular layer under the cuticle that secretes that outer covering. Because the word is built from classical Greek parts, it is a technical coinage of scientific English rather than a word that circulated in ancient Greece.

Synonyms: subcutaneous tissue, hypodermis, subcutis