The top layer of skin is called the epidermis. The epidermis serves to protect. It is made up of stratified squamous. Stratified squamous is many layers of flat cells. The epidermis contains 5 layers. From bottom to top the layers are named stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum licidum, and stratum corneum. At the bottom layer, cells form new skin cells and push the old ones up to replace the top cells that die and shed about every two weeks.