Maturation from surface to base means the cells comprising the clusters become more mature as you look deeper in the dermis. By more mature we mean they are smaller and more compact; less embryonic looking. The term nevus is the medical term for a "mole," an entity that everyone has. A nevus is a small cluster of immature melanocytes that just hung out in limbo while every other part of you was maturing.

Mark Braun, MD braunm@indiana.edu
Copyright 1998, the Trustees of Indiana University