How is the basement membrane attached to the dermis? Stereology of the interlacing fibers at the underface of the dermo-epidermal basement membrane.

A three-dimensional view of the underface of the dermoepidermal basement membrane is provided by scanning electron microscopy and correlated with aspects of optical and transmission electron microscopy. A thin network of interlacing fibers runs parallel to the basement membrane and appears to be attached to it from site to site through loops of anchoring fibers. A model of the attachment of the basement to the dermis is proposed.