Integumentary System 10.

contains cutaneous receptors that serve

as sensors for touch, pressure,
- also called integument temperature, and pain
- simply means “covering” Two principal layers
COMPOSED OF: 1. epidermis
2. dermis
1. Skin-largest organ in the body
Epidermis
2. skin appendages

a. sweat gland

b. sebaceous gland

c. hairs

d. nails

- also called integument

- simply means “covering”

Functions:
• superficial protective layer of the skin
1. keeps water and other precious
• composed of Stratified Squamous
molecules in the body
Keratinized Epithelium that varies in
2. keeps water out (so one can swim for thickness
hours without becoming waterlogged)
• all but the deepest layers of epidermis
3. protects the body from external agents are composed of dead cells

4. insulates and cushions deeper body • composed of 4-5 layers, depending on

organs its location within the body

5. protects body from mechanical damage • palms & soles have five layers because
(bumps and cuts), chemical damage these areas are exposed to most friction
(from acids and bases), thermal damage
(heat & cold) ultraviolet radiation, and
bacteria

6. regulates heat loss from body surface

7. acts as a mini-excretory system; urea,

salt, water are lost when we sweat

8. manufactures several proteins

important to immunity

9. storage of Vitamin D precursor


3. stratum granulosum (granular layer)
4. stratum lucidum (clear layer)
Layers of the epidermis
1. stratum basale
 composed of single layer of cells in
contact with the dermis
 Four types of cells in the stratum basale:
a.) keratinocytes
5. stratum corneum (hornlike layer)
-Productive keratin which toughens &
waterproofs skin
b.) melanocytes
-Synthesize the pigment melanin
providing a protective barrier to UV radiation
in sunlight
c.) tactile cells (Merkel cells)
-Aid in tactile (touch) reception
d.) non-pigmented granular dendrocytes
(Langerhans cells)
-protective macrophagic cells that
ingest bacteria & other foreign debris
2. stratum spinosum (spiny layer)
 Contains several stratified layer of
cells
 Spiny appearance due to changed
shape of keratinocytes
 With limited mitosis
 This layer plus stratum basale are
collectively called Stratum
Germinativum
 Consists of only 3-4 flattened rows
of cells
 Cells here appear granular due to
the presence of keratohyaline
granules
 Nuclei, organelles, and cell
membranes are no longer visible
so this layer appears clear
 Exist only in the lips & the
thickened skin of soles & palms
 Contains a translucent substance
called eleidin
 Composed of 25-30 layers of
flattened, scale-like anucleated
cells, which are continuously shed
as flake-like residues of cells
 This surface layer is cornified and
is the real protective layer of the
skin
 Cornification is brought on by
keratinization and the hardening,
flattening process that takes places
as the cells die are pushed to the
surface
 Friction at the surface of skin
stimulates additional mitotic
activity of stratum basale, resulting
in the formation of a callus for
additional protection
COLORATION OF SKIN SURFACE PATTERNS

•Caused by expression of a combination of 3 1. Congenital Patterns:

pigments:
 fingerprints or friction ridges
 Present on palms and soles
1. melanin
 Formed by the pull of elastic fibers
 Brown-black pigment produced within the dermis
by the melanocytes of stratum  Function to prevent slippage when
basale grasping objects
 Guards skin against damaging
2. Acquired Lines:
effect of ultraviolet rays of
sunlight  Deep Flexion Creases
 Gradual exposure to sunlight - Found on the palms
promotes increased production of  Shallow Flexion Lines
- Seen on knuckles and surface of
melanin; hence tanning of skin
other joints
 In albino, there is a normal
 Furrows in the forehead and face
number of melanocytes but lacks (wrinkles)
enzyme tyrosinase, that converts - Acquired from continual
the amino acid thyrosine to contraction of facial muscles, such
melanin as from smiling or squinting in light
 “freckles”-caused by aggregated or against the wind; facial lines
become more strongly delineated
patch of melanin
as person ages
 “vitiligo”-lack of melanocytes in
localized areas of the skin causing 3. LANGER LINES
distinct white spots
• lines of tension in the skin produced by
2. carotene
the orientation of collagen and elastic
 a yellowish pigment found fibers in non-random pattern of
in epidermal cells & fatty arrangement
parts of dermis
• surgical incision should be made
 abundant in skin of Asians
parallel to Langer lines to promote
 together with melanin, better wound healing
accounts for the yellowish-
tan color in Asians
3. hemoglobin
 not a pigment of the skin, rather
it is the oxygen-binding pigment
found in RBC
 oxygenated blood flowing
through the dermis gives the skin
its pinkish tones
DERMIS
• Deeper and thicker than the epidermis
• A strong and stretchy envelope that helps
to hold the body together
• Blood vessels within the dermis nourish the
living portion of the epidermis
• With numerous collagenous, elastic, and
reticular fibers that gives support to the
skin
• Highly vascular and glandular
• Contains many nerve endings and hair
follicles
Layers of the Dermis
1. Papillary layer
- In contact with the epidermis
- Accounts for about 1/5 of the entire
Two types of Sweat Glands
dermis
- With numerous projections called
Dermal Papillae, that extend from the
upper portion of the dermis into the
epidermis
- Dermal papillae contain capillary loops,
which furnish nutrients to the
epidermis
- Some papillae house pain receptors
(free nerve endings) and touch
receptors (Meissner’s Corpuscles)
- Dermal papillae form the base for the
friction ridges on the fingers and toes
2. Reticular layer
- Deepest skin layer
- Contains blood vessels, sweat & oil
glands, and deep pressure receptors
(Paolnian corpuscles)
- Many phagocytes are found here: they
engulf bacteria that have managed to
get through the epidermis
Cutaneous Glands
All exocrine glands (they release
secretions to skin surface via ducts)
1. Sebaceous glands
- or oil glands
- are found all over the skin, except
on the palms of the hands and the
soles of the feet.
2. Sweat glands
- Also called sudoriferous glands
- Widely distributed in the skin;
numerous in palms, sole,
axillary & public regions
- Secretion evaporates and cools
the body
1. Merocrine sweat gland
• more numerous and found all over
the body especially in forehead,
back, palms, and soles
• secretion reaches skin surface via a
duct that opens directly on surface
of skin through sweat pores
• secretion is mostly water with few
salts
2. Apocrine sweat gland
• Much larger, localized gland found
in axillary and public regions where
they secrete into hair follicles
• Not functional until puberty
• Secretion is thick and rich in organic
substances which is odourless when
released but quickly broken down
 by bacteria into substances
responsible for body odor
Mammary Gland
• Found within the breasts
• Specialized sudoriferous or sweat gland
that secrete milk during lactation
• Under the stimulus of pituitary gland
Hair
• Characteristic of all mammals, but its
distribution, function, density and texture
varies across mammalian species
• Humans are relatively hairless, with only
the scalp, face, pubis & axilla being densely
haired
• Men with more obvious hair because of
the male hormone
• Certain regions of body are hairless, like
the palms, soles, lips, nipples, penis, labia
minora
• Lifespan 3-4 months for an eyelash, 3-4
years in scalp hair
Primary Function of hair: Protection
• e.g. scalp hair, eyebrows are protection
from the sunlight
Three distinct kinds of hair in humans:
1. Lanugo
• Fine, silky fetal hair that appears during
the last trimester of development
• Usually not evident on a baby at birth
unless it has been born prematurely
2. Angora
 Grows continuously in length, as on
scalp, and on face of males
3. Definitive
 Grows to a certain length and then
ceases to grow
 Most dominant type of hair
e.g. eyelashes, eyebrow, pubic, and
axillary hair
sebaceous gland and an arrector pili muscle
are attached to the hair follicle, when the
muscle involuntarily contracts due to thermal
or psychological stimuli, the hair follicle is
pulled into an upright position, causing the hair
to “stand on its end” and producing goose
bumps
Nails Lunula

• Found on distal dorsum of each fingers • Whitish crescent (half-moon) shaped

and toes area at the proximal aspect of nail

• Forms from a hardened, transparent, • Finger nails grow at approximately 1mm

stratum corneum of epidermis per week. Growth of toe nails is slower

Nails consist: • Nails are transparent and nearly

colorless but they look pink because of
Nail Body the rich blood supply in the underlying
• Visible attached portion dermis

Nail Root

• Part of the nail covered by skin

Nail Bed

• Where nail root and nail body are

attached

Free Edge

• The distal exposed border attached to

undersurface of hyponychium

Hyponychium

• Beneath the free edge

Eponychium (cuticle)

• Covers the nail root

• Frequently splits causing a hangnail

Nail Matrix

• Proximal part of the nail bed

• The growth area of nail

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