Skin

Thursday, February 8, 2024 12:49 AM

The integumentary system includes your skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, and oil glands. Cleveland Clinic. (2021, October 13). Skin: Layers, Structure and Function.
"Integumentary" refers to the outer layer of a body. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/10978-skin

Skin is the largest organ in the body and covers the body's entire external surface. It is made up
of three layers, the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis
Yousef, H., Alhajj, M., & Sharma, S. (2022). Anatomy, Skin (Integument), Epidermis.
made of water, protein, fats and minerals. The skin has many functions. It serves as a barrier to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470464/#:~:text=Introduction
water, invasion by microorganisms, mechanical and chemical trauma, and damage from UV
light, and regulates body temperature. Nerves in the skin help you feel sensations like hot and
cold.

Three layers of tissue make up the skin:

Epidermis, the top layer.
Dermis, the middle layer.
Hypodermis, the bottom or fatty layer.

Sweat is produced by sweat glands and is primarily composed of water, with small amounts of
electrolytes and waste products. It plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature by
evaporating from the skin's surface, cooling the body down.

Hair is a filamentous structure that grows from follicles found in the skin. It is primarily
composed of a protein called keratin. Hair serves various functions, including protection from
sunlight and insulation.

The skin produces natural oils, known as sebum, which help lubricate and protect the skin and
hair. Sebaceous glands in the skin produce this oil. It helps maintain the skin's barrier function,
preventing excessive water loss and protecting against environmental factors like bacteria and
fungi.

The stratum corneum, the topmost layer, consists of 20–30 layers of keratin and scales
composed of dead keratinocytes, or anucleate squamous cells. The thickness of this layer
fluctuates the most, notably in callused skin. The dead keratinocytes in this layer release
defensins, which are a component of our first line of defense.

Derived from neural crest cells, melanocytes create melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin
its color. They are found between stratum basale cells. UVB light stimulates melanin secretion
which is protective against UV radiation, acting as a built-in sunscreen. One inch of your skin has
approximately 19 million skin cells and 60,000 melanocytes (cells that make melanin or skin
pigment).

Basement membranes are a dense, sheet-like form of extracellular matrix (ECM) that underlie
epithelia and endothelia, and surround muscle, fat and Schwann cells. Basement membranes
separate tissues and protect them from mechanical stress.

Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect arterioles (small arteries) and venules (small
veins). They form an extensive network throughout the body. Capillaries deliver oxygen and
nutrients to the skin cells while removing waste products. Capillaries play a crucial role in the
body's immune response and wound healing process. They bring immune cells and nutrients to
sites of injury or infection, facilitating tissue repair and fighting off pathogens.

Sebaceous glands are microscopic glands found in your hair follicles that secrete sebum. Most
of your sebaceous glands connect to your hair follicles, with an outlet emptying into the
follicular canal. This association is known as the pilosebaceous unit. A small number of
sebaceous glands known as Meibomian glands open directly onto the skin in the epithelium of
the eyelid and help to enhance the lubricating properties of tears.

There are eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. Eccrine sweat glands serve a thermoregulatory
function via evaporative heat loss. When the internal temperature of the body rises, sweat
glands release water to the skin surface. There, it quickly evaporates, subsequently cooling the
skin and blood beneath. Apocrine sweat glands start to function at puberty under the
stimulation of sex hormones. They are associated with hair follicles in the groin and axillary
region. The viscous, protein-rich product is initially odorless but may develop an odor after
exposure to bacteria.

A hair follicle is a pore or tube-like structure that encircles a hair's root and strand. Your skin's
top two layers contain hair follicles. More than one million hair follicles are found on your head
and more than five million hair follicles throughout your body from birth. Hair emerges from
your hair follicles as you grow.

The blood vessels of the dermis provide nutrients to the skin and help regulate body
temperature. Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which permits heavy blood flow near to the
skin's surface, where heat can be expelled. The blood vessels contract in the cold, holding the
body's heat. Your Skin contains 1,000 nerve endings and 20 blood vessels.

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