The structure of the stratum corneum has been described as a "brick and mortar" type structure. In this analogy, the corneocytes are the bricks. A corneocyte is a protein complex that is made of tiny threads of keratin in an organized matrix. The keratin can hold large amounts of water between the fibers/threads. The stratum corneum is contains about 12-16 layers of corneocytes and each corneocyte has a mean thickness of 1 micrometer, depending on the following factors:
- Age
- Anatomical location
- Exposure to UV radiation
