SavannahBrock

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IntegumentarySystem
Skinisthelargestorganinourbodyanditplaysaveryimportantroleinhelpingour
bodyfunctionproperly.Theskinhasthreedifferentlayers.Onthetoplayeroftheskinliesthe
epidermis.Thisismadeupofstratifiedsquamousepitheliumandepidermalridges.Thereare
fivelayersthatmakeuptheepidermis.Thetoplayerisstratumcorneumwhichisdeadskin
cells.Thelayerbelowthatisthestratumlucidum,butitcanonlybefoundinplaceswherethe
skinisthick.Thislayerisalsocomposedofdeadskincells.Thenextoneisstratumgranulosum
andareintheprocessofdying.Theyalsocontaingranulesthatproducekeratin.Thefourthlayer
isthestratumspinosumanditislivingcellsthatcreatevitaminDwhenyoureinsunlight.The
fifthandfinallayeroftheepidermisisthestratumbasaleandithasmanydifferentfunctions.
Therearefourdifferentkindsofcellsin
thislayer.Therearethekeratinocytes
whichmakeup90%ofthestratumbasale
andtheyarewaterproofingcells.The
melanocytesmakethepigmentoftheskin.
Themerkelcellsaresensoryreceptorsand
thelangerhanscellsaretheimmunecells.
Thelayerunderneaththeepidermisisthe
dermiswhichiscomposedofthepapillary
layerandthereticularlayer.Thepapillary
layerissmallbloodvessels,lymph,nerves,finecollagen,andelasticfibers.Thereticularlayers
isvascularplexus,lymph,nerves,appendages,compactcollagenfibers,andthickelasticfibers.
Therearealsosudoriferousglandsinthedermiswhichareresponsibleforsweat.Thelastand
finallayeristhehypodermis(subcutaneous)layerwhichhasmainyadipose.
(Figure1:HistologydrawingofWardspreparedslide.)


SkinsTemperatureRegulatory/HomeostasisFunction

Thehumanbodyhasmanydifferenttemperaturesthroughoutthebodythatcandepend
onmanydifferentvariationsinenvironmentandotherthings.Thereisalsomanywaysthebody
canalteritsowntemperature.Whenyouaremoreactive,youbecomewarmer.Therefore,the
skinaroundmoreactiveorgansormusclesisgoingtobewarmerthantheskinaroundlessactive
regionsofthebody.Heatistransferredintothebodyinsteadofoutthroughradiation,
conduction,andconvectionwheneverambienttemperaturesarehigherthanbodytemperature.
Yourbodyhastobeabletocooldown,becauseofthisandtheonlywaythatcanhappenis
throughtheevaporationoftheperspirationontheskinandevaporativecoolingemanated
moisture.Thisworks,becauseoftheheatofvaporizationofwater,whichis540calories/gmat
boilingpoint.Atnormalskintemperature,though,its580cal/gm.Themoisturethatisexcreted
byourporesinourskiniscalledsweat,whichismadebythesudoriferousglandsinthedermis.
Theestimatedamountofmoisturewelosethroughthisprocessinadayis600grams.Another
wayofcoolingisconduction,whichisthemolecularagitationwithinamaterialwithoutany
motionofthematerialasawhole.Convectionisthetransportofenergybymeansofthe
motionoftheheattransfermedium,inthiscasetheairsurroundingthebody.Radiationisthe
lastcoolingmechanismthebodyhasanditistheenergytransferbytheemissionof
electromagneticwaveswhichcarryenergyawayfromtheemittingobject.Withallofthese
thingsworkingtogether,thebodytransfersenoughheatoutofthebody.

(Figure2:Sweatglandsindifferent
regionsofthebody.)

(Figure3:Timeofbodytemperature
recovery.)

SkinsSensoryReception
Therearesensoryreceptorsalloveryourbodyandtherearemoreincertainplacesrather
thanothers.Vibration,touch,pressure,andpainarethetactileexperiencesoftheskin.If
somethingtouchesyourskin,youshouldbeabletotellwhatshapetheobjectisandevenhow
hotorcolditis.Youcantellifsomethingtouchesyoulightlyorpushesyouforcefully.Youcan
tellthesethingsbecauseoftheelasticityoftheskin,whichhelpsitconformtothetouchof
differentobjects.Thereareneurobiologicalprocessesthatarethecauseofthesesensationsof
touchanditallstartswithsensorytransductionmechanismsbywhichphysicalmisshapementof
theskinisconvertedintoelectricalsignals.Theinformationisadaptedintoapulsecodethatis
channeledtothecentralnervoussystembytheperipheralnerves.Themechanoreceptorsofthe
skinencompassthedistalterminalsofthetrigeminalsensoryneuronsordorsalrootganglion
neurons.Thesesensoryneuronsarealsocalledprimaryafferentsandhavethreemajor
components:(1)acellbodythatliesinagangliononthedorsalrootofaspinalortrigeminal
nerve,(2)aperipheralbranchthatterminatesinaspecialisedreceptorendingand(3)acentral
branchthatprojectstothecentralnervoussystem.Primaryafferentfibresareaccumulatedin
smallfasciclesthatconnecttofromtheperipheralnerves.Theygointothecentralnervous
systemthroughthesensorybranchesordorsalrootsofthefifthcanalnerve.Primaryafferent
fiberseitherhaveseparatecapsularreceptorsoneachendingorasinglelargecapsulethat

engulfsthewholenerveterminal.Thesestructuresconnectthenerveterminaltothesurfaceof
thebody.Becauseofthis,theyplayanimportantroleinchangingthetissuedisfiguringthat
happenswhensomethingcontactstheskin.

Figure4:Threemostsensitive
areasversusthreeleastsensitive.

Figure5:Homunculusofmydata.

http://www.cns.nyu.edu/~david/courses/sm12/Readings/GardnerELS2010.pdf
http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/coobod.html
http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbmswitmer/Downloads/Basic%20Skin%20Histology22101.pdf
https://quizlet.com/2756533/quiz2ch31theintegumentarysystemflashcards/