The epidermis is the entire outer epithelial layer of an animal, it may be a single layer that produces an extracellular material (e.g. the cuticle of arthropods) or a complex stratified squamous epithelium, as in the case of many vertebrate species[GO]. [ http://amigo.geneontology.org/amigo/term/GO:0008544 ]

Synonyms: epidermis (sensu Metazoa) outer epidermal layer outer epithelial layer epidermis