Outer epidermal layer composed of multiple layers of epithelial cells.

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Stratified epithelium is the description that fits because the epidermis is made up of more than one layer of cells, arranged to provide protection. The term “stratified” means multiple layers, and “epithelium” refers to a tissue type that lines surfaces. In skin, the epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium, with basal cells dividing and newer cells moving outward to form several layers that protect underlying tissues.

The other options don’t describe a tissue with multiple cell layers in the epidermis: the hypodermis is the subcutaneous tissue beneath the skin, not part of the epidermal layer; a melanocyte is a pigment-producing cell within the epidermis but not a description of the tissue’s layering; the stratum germinativum (basal layer) is a single layer at the base of the epidermis, not the multiple-layer outer structure.