Anatomy of the Skin (Integumentary)

• Skin is the largest organ of the body in surface area

and weight.
- Physical barrier that protects underlying tissues
from injury, UV light and bacterial
invasion.
- Mechanical barrier.
One Square Centimeter of Skin contains:
• 3 million cells
• Ten hairs .
• One yard of blood vessels .
• Four yards of nerves .
• 7 0 0 sweat glands .
• 2 0 0 nerve endings to record pain
• 3 0 0 0 sensory c ells at the end of nerve
fibers
 Skin Surface and Thickness
• Its area is about 2 square meters (22 square
feet) and weighs 4.5-5kg (10-11 lb), about 16%
of body weight.
• It is 0.5 – 4 mm thick, thinnest on the eyelids,
thickest on the heels; the average thickness is 1
– 2 mm.
• It consists 7% of the body weight.
• Epidermis replaced every 25-45 days .
 Types of Skin
• There are two major types of skin:
• Thin (hairy) skin: covers all body regions
except the palms, palmar surfaces of digits,
and soles.
• Thick (hairless) skin: The rest of the skin
surface.
 Layers of the Skin
• Consists of three layers:
• 1- Epidermis: Consists of keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium
• Has melanocytes producing melanin to protect
the epithelial cells fro sun radiation
• 2- Dermis: consists of collagenous connective
tissue.
• 3- Subcutaneous: Consists of adipose connective
tissue
 Cells in the Epidermis
- Keratinocytes: produce keratin
- Melanocytes: produce melanin. Skin color is
attributed to melanin, hemoglobin and carotene.

- Merkel cells: make contact with a sensory neuron

ending called a Merkel disc.

- Langerhans’ cells: Epidermal

dendritic cells (macrophages)

Sublayers of the Epidermis (n=5)
 The Dermis
Consists of flexible and strong connective tissue.
Fibers: (elastic, reticular and collagen fibers)
Cells: Fibroblasts
Macrophages (WBC),
Mast cells (produce histamine).
Others: nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels
- oil glands and sweat glands originate
Consists of two layers: papillary and reticular
layers.
 Skin Functions
• Waterproofs
• Cushions
• Protects deeper tissue
Excretes salts & urea: sweat removes water and
small amounts of salt, uric acid and ammonia
from the body surface.
• Pain, pressure sensation
• Regulates body temperature: sweat is
evaporated from the skin surface to cool it
down.
• Synthesis of Vitamin D
 Hair Anatomy
- Is composed of dead columns of dead
keratinized cells and is produced by the hair
bulb. The root is enclosed in a sheath, the hair
follicle.
- Shaft: is the superficial portion of hair
- Root: below the surface in the dermis
Arrector pili: is smooth muscle located in the
dermis and is attached to the side of the hair
shaft.
- Fright, cold and emotions will contract muscle
and pull hair in vertical position.
 Skin Appendages (Glands, Hair, Nails)
Skin Glands
• a) Sebaceous glands (oil glands): produce an oily
product (sebum), usually ducted into a hair follicle.
• Sebum keeps the skin and hair soft and contains
bacteria-killing chemicals.
• b) Sweat (sudoriferous) glands:
produce sweat.
• c) Ceruminous glands: ‫الغدد‬
‫ الصمالخية‬secrete earwax.
• d) Mammary glands: secrete milk.
 Types Sweat Glands
• There are two types sweat glands :

• (a) Eccrine sweat glands: found all over the body.

They produce primarily water plus some salts.

• (b) Apocrine sweat glands are largely confined to

the axillary and genital areas. Their secretion
contains fatty acids and protein.
 Nail Anatomy
Nails: are hornlike derivatives of the epidermis. Like
hair, nails are primarily dead keratinized cells.

- Produced by cells in the epidermis

- Nail plate (body): visible portion

- Nail root: The invisible part of the nail

- Lunula: half moon crescent shaped

white portion under cuticle

- Nail bed: located under nail plate

 Hypodermis
- Called subcutaneous, Sub-Q or superficial
fascia
- Anchors skin to underlying structures.
- Contains adipose tissue and blood vessels
- Common site for injection
 Skin Color
• Hair color is determined by the amount and type of
melanin.
• A benign localized overgrowth of melanocytes is a
nevus or mole.
• Albinism is an inherited inability to produce
melanin - vitiligo is a condition in which there is a
partial or complete loss of melanocytes from
patches of skin.
• Carotene - yellow-orange pigment (found in the
stratum corneum, dermis, and subcutaneous layer).
• Hemoglobin - red color (located in erythrocytes
 Effect of Aging on the Skin
• Wrinkling
• Decrease of skin’s immune responsiveness
• Dehydration and cracking of the skin
• Decreased sweat production
• Decreased numbers of functional melanocytes
resulting in gray hair and atypical skin pigmentation
• Loss of subcutaneous fat.
• Increased susceptibility to pathological conditions
• Growth of hair and nails decreases; nails may also
become more brittle with age.