Key Terms

Dermis
Epidermis
Subcutaneous
Hypodermis
Keratinocytes
Melanocytes

Functions of the Integumentary Syste

1. Protection
 Against abrasion and UV light
 Prevents entry of microorganisms
 Prevents dehydration
2. Sensation
 Sensory receptors that can detect heat, cold, touch, pressure, and pain
 Temperature regulation by controlling
 Blood flow through the skin
 Sweat gland activity
3. Vitamin D production
 The ultraviolet raise stimulates the production of Vitamin D
4. Excretion of small amounts of waste products

Components of the Integumentary System

 skin
 hair
 nails
 glands
The Skin
 Weighs 9 lbs.
 Used to determine body fat
 Consists of three major regions
1. Epidermis: outermost
region (superficial)
 Resists abrasion
 Reduces water loss
2. Dermis: middle region
(bulk of skin)
 Responsible for most of
the structural strength
of the skin
 Leather is produced
from the dermis of
animals
3. Subcutaneous tissue
(hypodermis): deepest
region
 Not really part of the skin
 Connects the skin to
underlying muscle or
bone

Epidermis
 Composed of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, consisting of four distinct cell
types and four or five layers
 Cell types include keratinocytes, melanocytes, Merkel cells, and Langerhans’ cells
 Outer portion of the skin is exposed to the external environment and functions in
protection

Cells of the Epidermis

1. Keratinocytes
 Most abundant cell type
 Produce the fibrous protein keratin
 Gives skin its protective properties
2. Melanocytes
 Produce the brown pigment melanin
 Found in the deepest layers of the epidermis
3. Langerhans’ cells
 Epidermal macrophages
 Help activate the immune system
4. Merkel cells
 Touch receptors in association with sensory nerve endings

Epidermal Layers
1. Stratum Basale (Basal Layer)
 Deepest epidermal layer firmly attached to the dermis
 Structural strength is provided by desmosomes and hemidesmosomes
 Consists of a single row of the youngest keratinocytes
 Cells undergo mitotic divisions ~every 19 days
 10-25% are melanocytes
2. Stratum Spinosum
 Melanin granules and Langerhans’ cells are abundant in this layer
 Melanin is taken up by the keratinocytes and accumulates on the “sunny side” to
protect the nucleus from UV damage
3. Stratum Granulosum
 Drastic changes in keratinocyte appearance occurs
 Keratohyaline and lamellated bodies (waterproofing) accumulate in the cells of
this layer
 Above this layer the epithelial cells die because they are too far from the dermis
4. Stratum Lucidum
 Thin, transparent band superficial to the Stratum Granulosum
 Consists of a few rows of flat, dead keratinocytes
 Present only in thick skin
5. Stratum Corneum
 Outermost layer of keratinized cells
 Accounts for three quarters of the epidermal thickness
 20-30 cell layers thick, all dead.
 Millions rub off everyday. Totally new every 25-45 days.
 Functions include:
1. Waterproofing
2. Protection from abrasion and penetration
3. Rendering the body relatively insensitive to biological, chemical, and
physical assaults
Keratinization:
 Process in which new cells (with keratin) push old cells to surface
 40-56 days for new cells to reach surface

Dermis
 Second major skin region containing strong, flexible connective tissue
 Cell types include fibroblasts, a few adipose cells and macrophages
 Composed of two layers: papillary and reticular
Layers
1. Papillary layer
 Areolar connective tissue with collagen and elastic fibers
 Its superior surface contains peg-like projections called dermal papillae
 Dermal papillae
 Genetically determined
 Responsible for fingerprints and footprints (films of sweat)
 Contains blood vessels that supply the overlying epidermis
 With nutrients
 Remove waste products
 Aid in regulating body temperature
2. Reticular layer
 Dense irregular connective tissue
 Collagen fibers in this layer add strength and resiliency to the skin
 Elastin fibers provide stretch-recoil properties
 Striae (stretch marks) are caused when skin is overstretched, the dermis
ruptures and leaves visible lines on epidermis
  Elastin and collagen fibers are oriented more in one direction than in
others and produce cleavage, or tension, lines

Hypodermis/ Subcutaneous Tissue

 Deep to the skin- connects skin to underlying muscle or bone
 Composed of adipose and areolar connective tissue
 Not really part of the skin
 Mostly adipose tissue
 Stores fat and connects the skin to the underlying structures (mainly muscles)
 Shock absorber and insulator
 Increases greatly as you gain weight

Skin Color Variation

 Determined by:
 pigments
 genetics
 blood circulation
 thickness of stratum corneum
• Melanocytes of darker skinned people produce more and darker melanin than fairer
skinned people
• All races have same number of melanocytes
• Skin Pigment
• Melanin:
 produced by melanocytes
 ranges from yellow to reddish-brown to black
 responsible for hair and eye color
 provides protection against UV light
 amt. produced determined by genetics, UV light,
 hormones
 freckles are accumulation of melanin
 albinism is absence of melanin

 Carotene:
 yellow-orange pigment found in plants
 accumulates in stratum corneum
 Hemoglobin:
 gives pinkish-red color
 found in red blood cells
 Tanning and Sunburns
 Exposure to UV light stimulates melanocytes to increase production of melanin
 Melanin builds up to help protect skin against UV radiation (tan)
 A sunburn is the skin reacting to UV exposure
 UV light causes elastic fibers to clump and become leathery
  UV light can alter DNA in cells causing them to mutate (cancer)
 Skin Color and Disease
 Redness: fever, hypertension, inflammation, allergies
 Pallor: anemia or low blood pressure
 Jaundice: liver disorder (yellow)
 Bronzing: Addison’s disease (kidney disease)
 Bruising: broken blood vessels

Accessory Skin Structures

Hair
 Parts

1. Hair follicle- where hair arises

from
2. Medulla-soft center
3. Cortex- Hard surface that
surrounds medulla
4. Cuticle- covers cortex and holds
hair in the hair follicle
5. Hair Shaft- protrudes above the
surface of the skin
6. Hair Root- below the surface
7. Hair Bulb- expanded base of the
root
where hair is produced
8. Hair papilla- where hair bulb is
resting
1. Extension of the
dermis that protrudes
into the hair bulb
2. Blood Vessels in
the papilla supplies the
hair bulb to produce hair
9. Arrector Pili- smooth
muscle cells associated
with each hair follicle
 causes the hair to be
more perpendicular
to the skin

Glands
 Sebaceous Glands
 Simple branched acinar glands
 produce sebum- lubrication and prevents from some bacteria
 Sweat Glands
 5. Eccrine Sweat Glands- simple coiled tubular glands that produce sweat by
merocrine secretion
 Open to the skin
 Cools the body
2. Apocrine Sweat Glands- simple coiled tubular glands that produce rich in organic
substances by both merocrine and holocrine secretion

How is hair produced?

• Hair is produced in hair bulb
• Hair bulb rests on blood vessels to supply it with nutrients
• Hair grows longer as cells are added to base of
hair bulb

Hair Facts
• Testosterone and good nutrition promote hair growth
• Growth occurs in cycles: active and resting
• Scalp hair grows for 3 years and rests for 1 year
• Eyelashes grow for 30 days and rest for 105 days
• We lose about 90 scalp hairs/day
• Grey hair is the loss or fading of melanin
• Male pattern baldness is from the loss of the hair follicle

Nails
 Nails are thin plate with layers of dead stratum corneum cells with hard keratin
Parts

1. Nail Body- the visible part of the nail

2. Lunula- the part of the nail matrix visible through the nail body
3. Cuticle- eponychium; stratum corneum that extends on to the nail body
4. Nail root- part covered by skin
5. Nail matrix - continuation of nail root
gives rises to most of nail
6. Nail Bed -attaches to nail and is distal to nail matrix
7. Cuticle- stratum corneum that extends into nail body
Physiology of the Integumentary system
Vitamin D Production
 UV light causes skin to produce a precursor molecule of vitamin D
  Precursor is carried by blood to liver where it is modified
 Next to kidneys where it is modified again to form active vitamin D
 Vitamin D can also be ingested through fish oils, fortified milk, eggs, and butter.
 Vitamin D stimulates intestine to absorb calcium and phosphate (bone growth and
muscle function)
Temperature Regulation
• Body temp. should be 98.6oC
• Rate of chemical reactions (metabolism) is altered by changes in temp.
• To cool body:
blood vessels in dermis dilate and heat is transferred from deep in tissues to skin and
sweat is produced
• Too heat body:
blood vessels constrict to reduce blood flow to skin and heat is retained

Aging and the Integument

• Blood flow decreases and skin becomes thinner due to decreased amounts of collagen
• Decreased activity of sebaceous and sweat glands make temperature regulation more
difficult
• Loss of elastic fibers cause skin to sag and wrinkle
Classification of Burns
1st degree:
- damages only epidermis
- redness, slight swelling, pain
- heals within 2-3 days (usually no scar)
- includes sunburns or exposure to cold
2 nd
degree:
- damages epidermis and upper dermis
- redness, swelling, pain, blisters
- heals in 2 weeks with some scarring
3rd degree:
- destroys epidermis and dermis
- burned areas are cherry red to black
 - nerve endings are destroyed
- skin graft might be necessary
Skin Cancer
• Most common cancer
• Mainly caused by UV light exposure
• Prevented by limiting sun exposure and using sunscreens
• UVA rays cause tan and is associated with malignant melanomas
• UVB rays cause sunburns
• Sunscreens should block UVA and UVB rays
Types of Skin Cancer
• Basal cell carcinoma:
- cells in stratum basale affected
- cancer removed by surgery
• Squamous cell carcinoma:
- cells above stratum basale affected
- can cause death
• Malignant melanoma:
- arises from melanocytes in a mole
- rare type
- can cause death

Teacher’s Insight

The integumentary system is made up of two layers; the epidermis and dermis. The
epidermis is avascular, its nourishment depend on the papillary layer of the dermis which are tiny
projections that contain blood vessels, hence are rich in blood circulation. When it is cold, blood
circulation to the surface of the skin is lessen to prevent body heat from being taken off the body,
hence, keeping the body warm, while when it is warm, there is an increase circulation going to the
surface of the skin to stimulate sweating, enabling the body to loose heat.