AshlynSpink

IntegumentarySystemLabReport

Thereareelevensystemsmakingupthebody.Eachsystemhasadifferentstructure
andfunction.TheonewearefocusingonistheIntegumentarysystem.Thissystemconsistof
skin,hair,nails,andglands.Theintegumentarysystemhasaspecificthreelayerstructure.
ThethreelayersconsistoftheEpidermis,Dermis,andtheSubcutaneouslayer.The
epidermislayeristheoutermostlayeroftheskin.Itisaverythin,thicklayerconsistingof
keratinocytes,melanocytes,andthestratumcorneum.Theepidermisfunctionistoprotect
yourinnerorgansandtissues.Thisiswhyitismadewaterproof.Itisalsomadetogiveskin
thepigmentcolor.ThenextskinlayeristheDermis.Liketheepidermisitalsoisathicklayer.
Itconsistoffibrousandelastictissue.Thisisthelayerthatcontainsallthefollicles,nerve
endings,sweatglands,andbloodvessels.Thefunctionofthislayeristostrengthenandgive
flexibility.Italsogivesnervestoyourfingernailsandtoes.Italsoproducesallsweat(glands).
Thesebaceousglandaddoilandsoftenthehairandskin.Thehairfolliclesiswhatproduces
thehairalloveryourbodyandscalp.Thefinalfunctionofthissystemistoregulatebody
temperature.Thefinallayeroftheintegumentarysystemusthesubcutaneouslayer.This
layerconsistoffibroblast,adiposetissue,andmacrophages.Itsmainfunctionistoinsulate
thebody.Italsoprovidesastorageforenergy.Theintegumentaryiseasilythelargestorgan
systeminthebodywithmanyfunctions.

Forthecutaneoussensoryreceptorlabweusedprotractorstomeasurethedistance
betweenourskinreceptors.Thesensoryreceptorintheskinprovidesinformationtothebrain
aboutthesizeandshapeoftheobjectheldinthehand.Thehumanhandisanorganwith
capacityandmanysensorytasks.Touchisdefinedasdirectcontactbetweentwophysical
bodies.Touchallowsustorecognizetheobjectbeingheld,hencesensoryreceptor.This
teachingusthatthelargertheregionthefurtherthesensoryreceptorswereapartfromeach
other.Sensorysignalsareperceivedbyspecializedneuronsequippedwithonetypeofreceptor

moleculesasphotoreceptorcellsorwithvarioustypesofreceptorsasnociceptiveneuronsto
detectdifferentnoxiousstimuliincludingheat,pressure,pH,orchemicalsignalsWhicher(1).

TherearevariationsinEccrinesweatglanddensity.Sometimebetweenthelate
1500sandearly1600sSantonioSanctoriusquartifiedthechangesinbodymassdueto
pelspilation.Sweatingisjustawaythebodyusestohelpcooldown.Therearemanywaysto
makesweatglandsactivesomebeingpsychologicalnervousness,thermalheat,and
exercise.Theydevelopwithinthestratumgeneration.Itthenbeginstoappearbeyondtwelve
tothirteenweeksofgestation.Asweatglandisfunnellikewithaninnerdiameterofabout
sixtytoeightycentimetersTaylor(1).Humanshaveextensiveabilitiestoadjusttheir
thermoregulatoryactivitieswhenrespondingtochangesinbothendogenous(exercise)and
exogenous(environmental)conditionsandtherebymaintainthermalhomeostasisKondo(2).
Bringingusintotheeffectofvascularityonskintemperaturerecovery.Homeostasisrefersto
thebodysabilitytomaintaininternalconditionswithinthenarrowlimitsthatareoptimalforthe
continuationofmetabolicprocesses.Theaveragehumanskintemperatureismaintainedat
approximatelythirtythreedegreescelsius.Whentestedicewasplacedonthepalm,thena
drasticdropintemperatureoccurred.Thetemperaturedroppedallthewaytotwentyfour
degreescelsius.Ittookthepalmaboutaminuteandahalftoreturntothebaseline
temperature.

IntotalwedidthreelabsallreferringtotheIntegumentarysystem.Westartedoffby
learningabouttheregionalvariationsinEccrinesweatglands.Alsoteachingusthedensity.
Theinformationwasgraphedtodiscoverthatsweatglandswereverysparseintheposterior
forearm,buthadanoutrageousamountinthemiddleofthepalmar.Then,wewentonto
learnaboutthevascularityinskintemperaturerecovery.Ittookthebaselinetemperature
whichisanaveragethirtythreedegreesabouttwoandahalfminutestoreturnbackto
normalafterplacingtheiceonit(twentyfourdegreescelsius).Thefinallabwasmeasuring
thedistancebetweentouchreceptors.Hereitistaughtthatthelargerthebodysurface,the
furtherapartthereceptorsaretobe.However,whenmeasuringasmallerbodysurfacethe
receptorsbecomeveryclose,almosttouching.Welearnedaboutthermoregulation,sweat
glanddensity,andsensoryreceptors.

Taylor,N.(2013,February1).Regionalvariationsintransepidermalwaterloss,eccrinesweat
glanddensity,sweatsecretionratesandelectrolytecompositioninrestingandexercising
humans.RetrievedOctober28,2014,from
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2046764824

Wicher,D.(2010,July7).References.RetrievedOctober28,2014,from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2906217/

Kondo,N.(2009,December1).Thermoregulatoryadaptationinhumansanditsmodifying
factors.RetrievedOctober28,2014,from
http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1232&context=asdpapers

Taylor,T.(1999,January1).IntegumentarySystem.RetrievedOctober28,2014,from
http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/integumentary

MacNeal,R.(2009,January1).StructureandFunctionoftheSkin.RetrievedOctober28,
2014,from
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin_disorders/biology_of_the_skin/structure_and_functi
on_of_the_skin.html