Which statement about subcutaneous tissue is true?

Which statement about subcutaneous tissue is true?

• A. It stores fat that insulates and cushions the body.
• B. It is the outermost protective layer of skin.
• C. It produces melanin.
• D. It contracts to move hair follicles.

Answer: (A)

Subcutaneous tissue, or the hypodermis, lies beneath the dermis and is mainly made of fat tissue. Its main role is to store fat, which provides insulation to regulate body temperature and cushions underlying structures from bumps and pressure. It also helps anchor the skin to underlying tissues and serves as an energy reserve. The other statements don’t fit because the outer protective layer is the epidermis, which contains melanocytes that produce melanin, and hair follicle movement is controlled by the arrector pili muscles in the dermis, not the subcutaneous layer.

Subcutaneous tissue, or the hypodermis, lies beneath the dermis and is mainly made of fat tissue. Its main role is to store fat, which provides insulation to regulate body temperature and cushions underlying structures from bumps and pressure. It also helps anchor the skin to underlying tissues and serves as an energy reserve. The other statements don’t fit because the outer protective layer is the epidermis, which contains melanocytes that produce melanin, and hair follicle movement is controlled by the arrector pili muscles in the dermis, not the subcutaneous layer.