Living cells layer; begins keratinization process.

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Stratum Spinosum is the living cell layer where keratinization begins. Here, keratinocytes are still alive and start producing keratin and related proteins as they mature, forming the sturdy, cohesive cells that will be pushed upward. As they move toward the granulosum, they become more flattened and eventually keratin-filled, marking the keratinization process progressing through the epidermis. The deepest layer, stratum germinativum, mainly serves as the site of cell division; the granular layer is where keratinization becomes most evident, and the hypodermis is not part of the epidermal layers.