Stratum basale

The stratum basale (basal layer, sometimes referred to as stratum germinativum) is the deepest layer of the five epidermis layers, which is the outer covering of skin in mammals.

The stratum basale is a continuous layer of cells. It is often described as one cell thick, though it may in fact be two to three cells thick in glabrous (hairless) skin and hyperproliferative epidermis (from a skin disease).