INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
epidermis is it’s roof.
• It consists of the skin and accessory
structures, such as hair, glands, and
nails.
• Integument means covering and the
integumentary system is one of the
more familiar systems of the body to
everyone because it covers the
outside of the body and is easily
observed.
• The appearance of the
integumentary system can indicate
physiological imbalances in the
body.
• Integumentary system and other
system often interact in complex
ways in both healthy and diseased
states.
Major Functions of Integumentary System
P-E-V-T-S
1. Protection
2. Excretion
3. Vitamin D Production
4. Temperature Regulation
5. Sensation
SKIN
• It is made up of two major tissue
layers: the epidermis and dermis
• Thickness of the epidermis and
dermis varies, depending on
location, but on average the dermis
is to 10 to 20 time thicker than the
epidermis.
• Dermis, a layer of dense connective
tissue
o Responsible for most of the
skin’s structural strength.
• Subcutaneous Tissue, a layer of
connective tissue where the skin
rests.
o It is not part of the skin, but
it does connect the skin to
underlying muscle or bone.
o It is the foundation on which
a house rests, the dermis
forms most of the house and
Epidermis
• A stratified squamous epithelium, in
its deepest layers, new cells are
produced by mitosis.
• The outermost cells protect the cells
underneath, and the deeper,
replicating cells replace cells lost
from the surface.
• Keratinization – during movements,
it is the process where the cells
change shape and chemical
composition.
o It reflects the fact that the
cells become filled with
protein keratin, which makes
them more rigid and durable.
• Strata are distinct layers that can be
seen in the epidermis.
• Stratum Basale, deepest stratum
that consists of cuboidal or
columnar cells that undergo mitotic
divisions about every 19 days.
o One daughter cell becomes
new stratum basale cell and
can divide again. The other
daughter cell us pushed
towards the surface, changes
in the cells produce
intermediate strata.
• Stratum Corneum, most superficial
stratum of the epidermis.
o Consists of dead squamous
cells filled with keratin.
Keratin gives the stratum
corneum its structural
strength.
o It is coated and surrounded
by lipids, which act as
waterproof material, thereby
preventing fluid loss through
skin.
o Excessive sloughing of
stratum corneum cells from
the surface of the scalp is
called dandruff.
LABRADO, GMY
 o Callus – hard skin, when skin
is subjected to friction, the
number of layers in the
stratum corneum greatly
increases thus producing a
thickened area.
o Corn – cone-shaped
structure over a bony
prominence when that
stratum corneum thickens.
Dermis
• It is composed of dense collagenous
connective tissue containing
fibroblasts, adipocytes, and
macrophages. Nerves, hair follicles,
smooth muscles, glands and
lymphatic vessels extend into the
dermis.
• Collagen and elastic fibers are
responsible for the structural
Skin Color
strength of the dermis.
• Cleavage lines or tension lines – the
orientation of collagen fibers
produces cleavage lines. It is found
in the skin and the skin is most
resistant to stretch along these
lines.
Note: It is important for surgeons to be
aware of cleavage lines.
• Stretch marks – develops when a
person increases in size quite
rapidly.
o Eg. Skin of the abdomen and
breasts during pregnancy or
skin of athletes.
• Derma papillae – nipplelike,
projections in the upper part of the
dermis, which extend towards the
epidermis.
o It contains many blood
vessels.
o In the palms of the hands,
soles of the feet and the tips
of the digits are arranged in
parallel, curving ridges
increases that shape the
overlying epidermis in to
fingerprints and footprints.
• Intradermal injection –
administered by drawing the skin
taut and inserting small needle at a
shallow angle into the dermis.
Eg. Tuberculin skin test
• Subcutaneous injection – achieved
by pinching the skin to form a “tent”
and inserting a short needle into the
adipose tissue of the subcutaneous
tissue.
Eg. Insulin Injection
• Intramuscular Injection –
accomplished by inserting a long
needle at a 90 degree angle to the
skin into a muscle deep to the
subcutaneous tissue.
Eg. Vaccines such as Hep B and
certain antibiotics
• Factors that determine the skin
color include: pigments in the skin,
blood circulating through the skin,
and the thickness of the stratum
corneum.
• Melanin – group of pigments
primarily responsible for skin, hair,
and eye color.
o Most melanin molecules are
brown to black pigments,
some are yellowish or
reddish. It provides
protection against
ultraviolet-light from the sun.
o It is produced by the
melanocytes.
• Melanocytes – irregularly shaped
cells with many long processes that
extend between the epithelial cells
of the deep part of the epidermis.
• Melanosomes – found within the
melanocytes; the golgi apparatuses
package melanin into vesicles which
move into the cell processes of the
melanocytes.
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 • Epithelial cells phagozytize the tops Hair
of the melanocyte cell processes,
• Found everywhere on the skin,
thereby acquiring melanosomes.
except on the palms, soles, lips,
• Large amount of melanin form
nipples, parts of the genitalia, and
freckles or moles, darkened areas in
distal segments of the fingers and
the genitalia, nipples and the
toes.
circular areas around the nipples.
• Hair follicle – invagination of the
• Other areas such as lips, palms of
epidermis that extends deep into
the hands and soles of the feet
the dermis.
contain less melanin.
• Hair shaft – protrudes above the
• Melanin production is determined
surface of the skin
by genetic factors, exposure to
• Hair root – below the surface of the
light, and hormones.
skin
• Albinism – recessive genetic trait
• Hair bulb – expanded based of the
that causes a deficiency or an
root
absence of melanin. Albinos have
• Cortex – hard, which surrounds a
fair skin and unpigmented irises in
softer center, the medulla.
the eyes.
• Cuticle – covering the cortex, a
• Exposure to UV light stimulates
single layer of overlapping cells that
melanocytes to increase melanin
holds the hair in the hair follicle.
production thus result to suntan.
• Hair follicle is composed of epithelial
• Estrogen and melanocyte
tissue, thus it plays an important
stimulating hormone, cause an
role in repair of the skin
increase in melanin production
• Hair is produced in the hair bulb
during pregnancy in the mother.
which rest on the hair papilla.
• Cyanosis – dark blue, decrease in
• Hair papilla – extension of the
the blood O2 content produces a
dermis that protrudes into the hair
bluish color of the skin
bulb.
• Pale during shock to decrease blood
• Eyelashes grow for 30 days and rest
flow and birthmarks are disorders of
for 105 days, scalp hair grows for 3
the
years and rest for 1-2 years.
• Carotene – yellow pigment found in
• Arrector pili – smooth muscle cells,
plants such as squash and carrots. A
contraction of the arrector pili
source of Vit. A and lipid soluble
causes the hair to become more
Subcutaneous Tissue perpendicular to the skin’s surface
of to “stand on end” and produces a
• It is where the skin rests.
raised area of the skin called “goose
• Sometimes called hypodermis.
bum”
• It attaches the skin to underlying
bone and muscle supplies it with Glands
blood vessels and nerves.
• Major glands of the skin are
• It can be used to estimate total body
sebaceous and sweat glands.
fat.
• Sebaceous glands – simple,
• Acceptable percentage of body fat
branched acinar glands. Most are
varies from 21% - 30% for females
connected by a duct to the
and from 13% - 25% for males.
superficial part of the hair follicle.
Accessory Skin Structures • Sebum – produced by the sebaceous
gland; oily, white substance rich in
• Are hair, glands, and nails.
lipids.

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 • Release by holocrine secretion and
lubricates the hair and the surface of
the skin, which prevents drying and
protects against some bacteria.
• Sweat glands – 2 kinds are eccrine
and apocrine
• Eccrine sweat glands – simple,
coiled, tubular glands and release
sweat by merocrine secretion
o Located almost in every part
of the skin but numerous in
the palms and soles.
o Produce a secretion that is
mostly water with a few salts
o High temperature – sweat
glands produce sweat,
evaporates and cools the
body.
• Apocrine sweat glands – simple,
coiled, tubular glands that produce
thick secretion rich in organic
substances.
o Release primarily by
merocrine secretion, through
some glands and
demonstrate holocrine
secretion.
o Open into hair follicles but
only in armpits and genitalia.
o It is active during puberty
because of the influence of
sex hormones.
o Responsible for what is
commonly known as body
odor.
Nails
• It is a thin plate, consisting of layers
of dead stratum corneum cells that
contain a very hard type of keratin.
• Nail body – visible part of the nail
• Nail root – part of the nail covered
by skin
• Cuticle – eponychium, stratum
corneum that extends onto the nail
body.
• Nail matrix – where the nail roots
extends distally
• Nail bed – where the nail attaches
and located distal to the nail matrix.
• Lunula – whitish, crescent-shaped
area at the base of the nail.
Integumentary System as a Diagnostic Acid
• Is useful in diagnosis because it is
observed easily and often reflects
events occurring in other parts of
the body.
• Cyanosis – bluish color, impaired
circulation or respiratory function
• Jaundice – yellowish skin color,
occur when the liver is damaged by
a disease such as viral hepatitis.
• Rashes and lesions – eg. Scarlet
fever, allergic reactions
• Conditions of the skin, hair, and
nails – Vit A deficiency, Iron
deficiency anemia
• Hair analysis – lead poisoning
Burns
• Injury to a tissue caused by heat,
cold, friction, chemicals, electricity,
or radiation.
• Classified according to their depth.
• Partial-thickness burns – part of the
stratum basale remains viable and
regeneration of the epidermis
occurs from within the burn area, as
well as from the edges of the burn.
o It is divided into first and
second degree burns.
• First degree burns – involves only
the epidermis and are red and
painful.
o Slight edema or swelling may
be present
o Can be caused by sunburn or
brief exposure to very hot or
very cold objects and they
heal without scarring in
about a week.
• Second degree burns – damage
both the epidermis and dermis.
Healing take about 2 weeks and no
scarring results.
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 • Full-thickness burns – third degree
burns, epidermis and dermis are
completely destroyed and recover
occurs from the edges of the burn
wound. Appear white, tan, brown,
black, or deep cherry red.
• Deep partial-thickness and full-
thickness burns – takes a long time
to heal, and they form scar tissue
with disfiguring and debilitating
wound contracture.
Skin Cancer
• Most common type of cancer
• Most often its associated with the
exposure to UV light from the sun
• Develop on the face, neck or hands
and most likely to have are the fair-
skinned (less protection from the
sun) or older than 50 (long exposure
to the sun)
• 3 Main Types of Skin Cancer:
1. Basal cell carcinoma
2. Squamous cell carcinoma
3. Malignant melanoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma
• Most frequent type
• Begins with cells in the stratum
basale and extends into the dermis
to produce an open ulcer.
• Surgical removal or radiation
therapy cures this type of cancer
• There is a little danger that this type
of cancer will spread or metastasize
to other areas of the body
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Develops from the cells immediately
superficial to the stratum basale
• Cells continue to divide as they
produce keratin.
• Typical result is nodular, keratinized
tumor confined to the epidermis
• If untreated, the tumor can invade
the dermis, metastasize and cause
death
Malignant Melanoma
• Rare form of skin cancer that arises
from melanocytes usually in a
preexisting mole. Mole is an
aggregation or “nest” of
melanocytes.
• Appear as large, flat, spreading
lesion, or as deeply pigmented
nodule.
• Metastasis is common and unless
diagnosed and treated early in
development, this cancer is fatal.
• Limiting to exposure of the sun and
using sunscreen that block UV light
can reduce the likelihood of
developing skin cancer.
Classification of UV light based on their
wavelengths:
1. UVA – longer than UVB; exposure to
UVA causes most tanning of the skin
but is associated with the
development of malignant
melanoma.
2. UVB – shorter that UVB; exposure to
UVB causes burning of the skin and
is associated with the development
of basal cells and squamous
carcinoma.
Note: It is advisable to use sunscreens that
effectively block both UVA and UVB.
Effects of Aging on the Integumentary
System
1. Skin is more easily damaged because
the epidermis thins and the amount
of collagen in the dermis decreases.
2. Skin infections are more likely and
repair of the skin occurs more slowly
3. Skin begins to sag and wrinkle
because of a decrease in the number
of elastic fibers in the dermis and
loss of adipose tissue from the
subcutaneous tissue
4. Decrease in the activity of sweat
glands and in the blood supply to
the dermis results in reduced ability
to regulate body temperature.
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5. Skin becomes drier as sebaceous
gland activity decreases.
6. Increase the number of melanocytes
to produce age spots. Freckles are
caused by melanin production.
7. Gray or white hair results of a
decrease in or lack of melanin
production.
8. Skin exposed to sunlight shows signs
of aging more rapidly that
nonexposed skin, avoid
overexposure to sunlight and use
sunscreen.

LABRADO, GMY