Question:medium
Lines of Blaschko are:
Lines of Blaschko are:
Show Hint
They trace embryonic skin cell migration, not nerves or vessels.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Lymphatics
- Blood vessels
- Nerves
- Lines of development
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Identify what physical structure, if any, the lines of Blaschko trace, and then match it to the options. These lines are not anatomical conduits at all; rather they map the pathways along which ectodermal skin cells, including melanocytes and keratinocytes, spread out clonally while the skin is forming in the embryo. Their characteristic geometry, V-shaped over the spine, swirling S-shapes on the trunk, and longitudinal bands on the limbs, reflects this migratory expansion rather than the layout of nerves, arteries, or lymphatic channels. Consequently they are unrelated to dermatomes (nerves), to the vasculature (blood vessels), or to lymphatic pathways, and they only declare themselves clinically when mosaic genetic skin conditions such as incontinentia pigmenti or epidermal naevi arrange their lesions along these tracks. Since they record the routes of embryonic skin cell development, the correct description is lines of development. \[\boxed{\text{Lines of development}}\]
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