The basal layer is the innermost layer of the epidermis made up of a single layer of basal or germinative cells (mostly epidermal Keratinocytes) that proliferate and divide to give rise to new cells for other epidermal layers. As the cells move to the upper layers of the epidermis they mature and eventually form cornified cells. The suprabasal cell layer lies directly above the basal layer and is composed of five to ten layers of cells.