The skin is the largest organ in the body. The integumentary system is made up of the skin and its appendages (hair, nails and glands). The skin is made up of two layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer and protects against dangerous environmental influences and fluid loss. This layer consists of stratified keratinized squamous epithelium. The epidermis can be thick or thin depending on the location. On the palms and soles, the epidermis is thick and has a diameter between 0.8 mm and 1.4 mm. The thin skin, however, covers the rest of the body and can have a diameter between 0.07 mm and 0.12 mm. One of the functions of the skin is to provide protection. The epidermis has four main cell types and one of these cells, melanocytes, produces the pigment melanin which helps protect the skin from ultraviolet rays which can damage skin cells (Ross & Pawlina, 2010). The dermis of the skin consists of two layers: the papillary dermis and the reticular dermis. There are two types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are included in non-melanoma tumors. This article will focus on how the skin is affected by basal cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma also known as (BCC) is the most common type of cancer in the Caucasian population. It is less common in African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. It has increased in incidence in recent decades, with the highest rates in Australia (Agnew et al., 2005). BCC is also more common in men than in women. It is a slow-growing form of cancer that rarely metastasizes. BCC can occur at any age but is common in older adults. This cancer is the most common skin malignancy in humans (Habif, 2011). Starts at ...... middle of the paper ...... n of the epithelium. References Agnew, K. L., Bunker, C. B., & Gilchrest, B. A. (2005). Skin cancer. Abingdon: HEALTH Press.Aster, J.C., Robbins, S.L., Kumar, V., & Abbas, A.K. (2013). Robbins basic pathology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. Basal cell carcinoma. (2011, July 26). Retrieved from the US National Library of Medicine, NIH: National Institutes of Health website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000824.htmDermnet Skin Disease Atlas. (2011). Histological photo of basal cell carcinoma. Retrieved from http://www.dermnet.com/images/Basal-Cell-Carcinoma-Histology/picture/18925?imgNumber=4Habif, T. P. (2011). Skin disease: diagnosis and treatment. Edinburgh: Saunders/Elsevier. Ross, M. H., & Pawlina, W. (2010). Histology: a text and an atlas, with related cellular and molecular biology. (6 ed.). New York: Wolters Kluwer.