HOMEOSTASIS

THE STRUCTURE OF SKIN

 SKIN STRUCTURE
BASAL LAYER- Some of the cells are continually dividing & pushing the
older cells near the surface. It contributes to the hair follicles. Specialised
pigment cells in the basal layer & epidermis produce black pigment
MELANIN

EPIDERMIS- The basal layer & cells above it constitute the EPIDERMIS

DERMIS- Contains connective tissue with hair follicles, sebaceous glands,

sweat glands, blood vessels & nerve endings.

Usually there will be a layer of adipose tissue beneath the dermis

 SKIN FUNCTION
PROTECTION
Outer most layer of layer of dead cells of the epidermis helps
to reduce water loss & provide barrier against bacteria

The pigment cells protect the skin from the damage by the
ultraviolet rays in the sunlight

In white skinned people more melanin is produced in

response to exposure to sunlight, giving rise to a tan
 SKIN FUNCTION
SENSITIVITY
Scattered throughout the skin are large number of receptors which give
rise to sensation of touch, pressure, heat, cold. & pain
These make us aware of the surroundings & enable us to take action
against damage, to recognise objects by touch.

TEMPERATURE REGULATION
The skin helps to keep the body temperature more or less constant.
This can be done by adjusting the blood flow near the skin surface & by
sweating
 HOMEOSTASIS
Process that occurs in all
living things

All organ systems work to

achieve homeostasis

DEFINITION: The ability of

an organism to maintain its
internal environment despite
changes to its internal or
external environment
 HOMEOSTASIS
Internal Control Systems require:

Sensors - It is also called as receptors. It gathers information about conditions

inside and outside of the body. In Humid weather sensors in your skin and
Nasal passages gather data about air temperatures.

Control Centre - A Control Centre, often the brain, receives information from the
sensor. Hypothalamus in the brain receives information from the receptors in
the skin regarding the temperature changes.

Communication Systems - Communication Systems, it is controlled by the

Nervous and Endocrine Systems which carry messages to all parts of the body.
Messages in the form of nerve impulses tell the targets in the body how to
respond to internal or external changes.

Target - it is an organ, tissue, or cell that changes its level of activities and
responds to a message.
HOMEOSTASIS









 TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Normal body temperature varies between 35.8 & 37.7C

Heat is lost from the body surface by conduction, convection,

radiation & evaporation

The amount of heat lost is reduced to an extent by insulating

properties of adipose tissue

Heat is gained internally by the process of respiration

Imbalance in the heat gain or loss is corrected by the following

methods
OVERHEATING
More blood flows near the surface of the skin allowing more heat to be
exchanged with the surrounding

SWEATING- The sweat glands secrete sweat on the skin surface.

When this layer of liquid evaporates, takes heat from the body & cools it
down

OVERCOOLING

Less blood flows near the surface of the skin, reducing the amount of
heat lost to the surroundings

Sweat production stops- thus heat lost to the environment is reduced

SHIVERING- Uncontrollable burst of rapid muscle contractions in the

limb release heat as a result of respiration in the muscles
 INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM & HOMEOSTASIS

Skin is a part of your integumentary system.

The integumentary system is the body system that surrounds all of your other
organ systems, and it includes the skin, hair, nails, oil glands, and sweat glands

Together, these tissues protect your body and help your body maintain
homeostasis

Nerves in your skin can help maintain temperature homeostasis, but your
integumentary system maintains homeostasis in other ways as well.

It removes water, salts, and urea from the bloodstream

Sweat glands help maintain homeostasis by cooling the body as the sweat
evaporates off the skin.

The average person has 2,600,000 sweat glands. During an intense hour long
workout, these glands allow your body to sweat out more than a litre of water.