Spatial distribution of mitosis in mouse epidermis.

The cells of the upper strata of mammalian epidermis are flattened and aligned to form regular columnar units. It has been suggested that the position of the smaller underlying basal cells is related to the overlying cell columns. Examination of the position of metaphase figures in sheets of mouse epidermis indicated that mitosis occurs principally in cells lying just within the periphery of the cell columns but that there is no alignment of interphase basal cells within the columnar peripheries which could account for this position of mitosis.