Integumentary

System
Skin
 What are the major
characteristics of the skin?
 Waterproof, stretchable, washable, and
permanent-press, that automatically repairs
small cuts, rips and burns and is guaranteed
to last a lifetime
 Surface area of up to 2.2 square meters
 11 pounds
 7% of total body weight
 Pliable yet tough
What are the 3 major layers of
the skin?
 Epidermis (epi-upon)
– Composed of epithelial tissue (stratified squamous)
– Non-vascularized
 Dermis – underlies the epidermis
– Tough leathery layer composed of fibrous connective
tissue
– Good supply of blood
 Hypodermis (not considered skin)
– Made of adipose and areolar tissue
– Stores fat, anchors skin, protects against blows
Epidermis

Dermis

Hypodermis
Epidermis

Dermis
Basement membrane
 What are the different types of
cells in the epidermis?
 Keratinocytes
– Produce a fibrous protein
called keratin
– Keratinocytes also
regulate calcium
absorption by the
activation of cholesterol
precursors by UVB light
to form vitamin D.
 What are the different types of
cells in the epidermis?
 Melanocytes
– Synthesizes the pigment melanin
– Derived from neural crest cells melanocyte
– Melanin transferred to Melanin in
neighboring keratinocytes by keratinocytes
“pigment donation”
 What are the different types of
cells in the epidermis?
 Langerhans’ cells Langerhans’
– Formed in bone marrow cell

– Move to the skin

– Macrophages
 What are the different types of
cells in the epidermis?
 Merkel Cells
– Has a spiked appearance
– Connected to nerve cells from
dermis
– Function as sensory receptors for
touch
 Layers of the epidermis
 Stratum basale: deepest layer of the epidermis, undergoes
rapid cell division

 Stratum spinosum: intermediate layer, contain spiny

shaped keratinocytes

 Stratum granulosum: flattened cells

 Stratum Lucidum: thin, layer of dead cells, translucent

 Stratum corneum: outermost layer 20-30 cells thick of

dead keratinized cells
– Dandruff
 Integumentary system (skin)
 Below the epidermis = Dermis
– 2 layers
 Stratum papillarosum: in contact with the epidermis

• Papillae are projections of the dermis into the

epidermis…the framework for fingerprints (friction
ridges).

 Stratum reticulosum: reticular layer (mesh-like)

– Stretches well, but can be overstretched
• Post-partum stretch marks
Integumentary system (skin)
 Characteristics of the dermis
 Made up of connective tissue
 Richly supplied with blood vessels and lymph
vessels
 Has hair follicles, oil and sweat glands and sensory
receptors
 Ridges formed from the papillary layer can form
finger prints
 Hypodermis
 Is deep to the dermis and is also called subcutaneous
fascia
 It is the deepest layer of skin and contains adipose
lobules along with some skin appendages like the
hair follicles, sensory neurons and blood vessels
What causes the color of skin?
 3 pigments contribute to skin color
– Melanin- protein pigment (natural sunscreen)
 Can range in color from yellow to reddish-brown to black
 Everyone has the same number of melanocytes but make
varying amounts and colors (differences in skin color)
 Increased melanin production can caused by sunlight
– Carotene-yellow to orange pigment found in carrots
 Most commonly found in the palms or soles. Most intense
when large amounts of carotene-rich foods are eaten
– Hemoglobin- Red blood gives a pinkish hue to fair
skin
Tatoos
 Major appendages of the skin
 Sweat glands
 Sebaceous glands
 Hair
 Nails
Types of glands found in the skin
 Sweat glands-sudoriferous
1. Merocrine- common sweat glands
2. Apocrine- produce sweat plus a milky or yellowish substance
composed of fat and protein
 Found in the arm pits and genitalia
 Thought to be scent glands
3. Ceruminous- produce cerumen (ear wax)
4. Mammary glands- produce milk

 Sebaceous glands- oil glands (sebum)

– Softens and lubricates hair and skin
– Slows water loss and kills bacteria
 Why is hair useful?
 Senses insects that land on the skin
 Hair on the head protects the head from a blow,
sunlight and heat loss
 Eyelashes shield the eye
 Nose hairs filter the air
 What are the parts of nails?
 A nail is a scale-like modification of the epidermis

 Made of tightly compressed keratinized cells

 Nail matrix is the region responsible for nail growth

Primary functions : Integumentary System

 Protection: provides 3 types of barriers

– Chemical barriers: low pH of skin secretions slows

bacterial growth
– Human defensin is an antimicrobial that destroys bacteria
(produced by human skin)
 Physical barriers
– Physical barriers: very few substance are able to enter
the skin. Substances able to pass
 Lipid-soluble substances: oxygen, carbon dioxide, some
vitamins
 Oleoresins- poisons (poison ivy)
 Organic solvents- dry-cleaning fluid, paint thinner
 Salts of heavy metals- lead, mercury, nickel
 Penetration enhancers- drug agents that help substances into
the body
 Biological barriers

Langerhans’ cells- act as

macrophages police the
epidermis for viruses and
bacteria
 Functions cont.
 Thermoregulation- skin contains sweat glands that secrete
watery fluid, that when evaporated, cools the body

 Sensation- Skin contains sensory receptors that detect cold,

touch, and pain

 Vitamin D synthesis- cholesterol in the skin is bombarded

by sunlight and converted to vitamin D
 Functions cont.
Blood reservoir- blood will be moved from skin to
muscles during strenuous activity

Excretion- Sweating is an important outlet for wastes

such as salt and nitrogen containing compounds
 Skin Cancer
 Benign tumors such as warts and moles are not
serious

 Malignant tumors can start on the skin and invade

other body areas

 Crucial risk factor- overexposure to UV radiation

 Types of Skin Cancer
 Basal cell carcinoma- most common

 Squamous Cell carcinoma- Arise from stratum

spinosum

 Melanoma- Cancer of melanocytes (very

dangerous)
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Melanoma
 What are the 3 types of burns?
 First-degree burns: only the epidermis is damaged.
Redness, swelling and pain are common (sunburn)

 Second-degree burns: epidermis and upper layers

of dermis

 Third-degree burns: involves the entire thickness

of the skin
 Second-degree burns

Third-degree
burn
 Development
 Epidermis
– Develops from embryonic ectoderm
 Dermis and hypodermis
– Develop from mesoderm
 Melanocytes
– Develop from neural crest cells
 Development
 Fetal skin
– Well formed after the fourth month
– At 5-6 months
 The fetus is covered with lanugo (downy hairs)
– Fetal sebaceous glands produce vernix caseosa
 The Skin Throughout Life
 Middle to old age
– Skin thins and becomes less elastic

– Shows harmful effects of environmental damage

– Skin inflammations become more common

QUESTIONS