Quick Facts
The veins of the skin begin in the papillae of the skin, form subpapillary plexuses, and open into the subcutaneous veins (Dorland, 2011).
Structure/Morphology
The skin contains a rich network of blood and lymph vessels in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. There are two major plexuses, one located at the region of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, and one in the superficial part of the dermis that supplies a large network of capillaries to the papillae at the epidermal-dermal junction.
Function
These vessels supply nourishment to the three layers of the skin, the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. In addition, this vasculature acts as a thermoregulator. In cold conditions, blood flow is decreased in the papillary layer of the dermis to minimize heat lost from the body, while blood flow is increased in the papillary layer in hot conditions (Young, 2006).
References
Dorland, W. (2011) Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 32nd edn. Philadelphia, USA: Elsevier Saunders.
Young, B. (2006) Wheater's Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas. Student consult: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
