a-short-review-of-histology

Superficial and Deep Fascia:

Superficial and deep fascia are the terms used in anatomy, and clinical medicine, to describe two distinctive types of connective tissue in the body
Superficial fascia is the term used to describe the fatty connective tissue which lies deep to the skin
It is present almost across our whole bodies although it is thicker in some areas than others
There can be considerable variation in the amount of superficial fascia from one individual to another
Functionally, it is an important fat store and also an important insulation layer
In clinical practice, however, excessive superficial fascia can cause practical difficulties, often with routine procedures such as venepuncture
Deep fascia is the term used to describe the dense (irregular) connective tissue layer which surrounds individual muscles
It is usually a thin layer of connective tissue but in a few locations it may be thickened eg. to provide a point of attachment for another muscle
The term deep fascia used by gross anatomists, and in clinical medicine, is the same tissue layer that is described by histologists as the epimysium