Answer: first statement that Keratin is a protein in the cells of the epidermis that provides strength and waterproofing is correct
Explanation:
The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, provides waterproofing and serves as a barrier to infection.
The middle layer of skin, the dermis, contains blood vessels, nerves, and glands that are important for our skin’s function. The inner layer of the skin, the subcutis, contains fat that protects us from trauma. The cells in all of the layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes. A keratinocyte is a cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin. Keratin is an intracellular fibrous protein that gives hair, nails, and skin their hardness and water-resistant properties.
Keratin is an important protein in the epidermis. Keratin has two main functions: to adhere cells to each other and to form a protective layer on the outside of the skin. In epithelial cells, keratin proteins inside the cell attach to proteins called desmosomes on the surface.
