Armour (zoology)

thumb|Discarded exoskeleton (exuviae) of [[dragonfly nymph]] thumb|Exoskeleton of cicada attached to a [[Tridax procumbens (colloquially known as the tridax daisy)]]

The dermis or corium is a layer of skin between the epidermis (with which it makes up the cutis) and subcutaneous tissues, that primarily consists of dense irregular connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. It is divided into two layers, the superficial area adjacent to the epidermis called the papillary region and a deep thicker area known as the reticular dermis. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis through a basement membrane. Structural components of the dermis are collagen, elastic fibers, and extrafibrillar matrix. It also contains mechanoreceptors that

shield for the ventral and dorsal parts of turtles, tortoises and terrapins

anatomical feature

type of bone, whose principal function is either extensive protection or the provision of broad surfaces for muscular attachment

bony structure derived from intramembranous ossification