Structures connecting cells in the epidermis.

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Desmosomes are the structures that connect adjacent epidermal cells, providing strong adhesive links between keratinocytes. They are anchoring junctions that use cadherin proteins to bind cells together and connect to intermediate filaments inside the cells, forming a network that distributes mechanical stress across the tissue. In the epidermis, these junctions are particularly prominent in the layer where cells push against each other and need to resist stretching, which is why you often see them described in association with the spiny-looking cell layer. The other options refer to part of the skin structure (a specific epidermal layer) or to cells within the skin, not to the structures that physically link cells together. So desmosomes best explain how epidermal cells stay connected.