Integumentary

System
-Made up of skin (cutaneous membrane) and its
appendages: hair, nails, sebaceous glands, and sweat
glands

-Provide a protective covering for the body, sense the

environment, and help the body maintain homeostasis What is the
-Aside from the skin, it includes the hair and nails, organs
Integumentary
that grow out of the skin. Because the organs of the
integumentary system are mostly external to the body, System?
they serve vital physiological functions
The SKIN
-The body’s largest organ

-The average square inch of skin has 20

blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and
more than a thousand nerve endings

-Has an incredible 60 thousand pigment-

producing cells. All of these structures are
packed into a stack of cells that is just 2 mm
thick, or about as thick as the cover of a book

-Consists of two distinct layers: the

epidermis and dermis
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 Functions of the Skin
• A covering for the underlying, deeper tissues, protects from dehydration , injury, and germ invasion

• Help regulate body temperature; controls the size of blood vessels in the dermal layer of the skin.

• Helps manufacture vitamin D. ultraviolet light is necessary for the first stage of vitamin D formation.

• A site for nerve endings. A square inch of skin contains 72 feet of nerves and hundreds of receptors.

• Has a tissue that temporarily stores fat, glucose, water, and salts. later will be absorbed by the blood and transported to other
parts of the body

• Reduces harmful ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.

• Has a special property that permits the absorption of certain drugs and other chemical substances; drugs for rashes, or
medications via patches that can be absorb through the skin.
STRUCTURE of the SKIN
1.) Epidermis ( outermost layer)

• This layer is thinner than the inner layer (the dermis).

• The epidermis consists mainly of epithelial cells, called keratinocytes, which produce the
tough, fibrous protein keratin.

• The innermost cells of the epidermis are stem cells that divide continuously to form
new cells.

• The newly formed cells move up through the epidermis toward the skin surface, while
producing more and more keratin
• The cells become filled with keratin and die by the time they reach the surface,
where they form a protective, waterproof layer

• As the dead cells are shed from the surface of the skin, they are replaced by
other cells that move up from below

• Also contains melanocytes, the cells that produce the brown pigment melanin,
which gives skin most of its color. Although the epidermis contains some
sensory receptor cells — called Merkel cells — it contains no nerves, blood
vessels, or other structures
 2.) Dermis (Innermost layer)

• Thicker layer of skin

• It consists mainly of tough connective tissue, and is attached to the

epidermis by collagen fibers

• The dermis contains many structures, including blood vessels, sweat glands,
and hair follicles, which are structures where hairs originate

• The dermis contains many sensory receptors, nerves, and oil glands
 Keratin
A protein that renders the skin dry and provides a
waterproof covering, thus resisting evaporation
and preventing excessive water loss. Also serves as
a barrier against ultraviolet light, bacteria,
abrasions, and some chemicals.
 Epidermal Cells
• Keratinocytes- comprise most of the epidermis and produce the
protein keratin

• Merkel cells - the sensory receptors for touch

• Melanocytes – makes the protein melanin (protects skin against

ultraviolet rays)

• Langerhans cells (not the one in pancreas)- macrophages(WBC,

cleans the body of unwanted microscopic particles, e.g, bacteria
and dead cells), effective in the defense of skin against
microorganisms
 Epidermal Layers
Stratum Germinativum (stratum basale) – a continuous cell
division; the deepest epidermal layer.
- consist of layer cells (mostly keratinocytes).
- grow upward and becomes part of the superficial layers,
the stratum spinosum.
- melanocytes and merkel cells are also found here

Stratum Spinosum - 8-10 cell layer thick. Contains

melanocytes, keratinocytes, and Langerhans cells. Spinosum
meaning “Little spine” under microscope.
Stratum granulosum – keratinization(keratinocyte cells change
shape, lose nucleus, lost most of their water, and become mainly
hard protein/keratin) process begins and the cells begin to die

Stratum Lucidum - found only on the palms of the hand and the
soles of the feet. Cells appear clear

Stratum Corneum- dead, flat, scalelike keratinized cells, which

slough(shed/remove) off daily.
 Skin Color
-Contributes of 3 pigments to skin color: Melanin, Carotene, and hemoglobin

-Alteration in skin color may indicate disease conditions or emotional states

 Melanocytes
Produce 2 classes of melanin: Pheomelanin (red to yellow) and Eumelanin (dark brown to black).

People with whiter skin have great proportion of Pheomelanin on their skin
- Photosensitive – makes skin burn because of drugs
-In older adults, melanin collects in spots called “aging”/”liver” spots.
- The environment can modify/affect skin color (e.g., exposure to sunlight, increase in eumelanin)
- Prolonged exposure under the ultraviolet rays is dangerous, it may lead to the development of
skin cancer
 Carotene
Yellow to orange pigment found in certain plants

-Some Asians has yellowish tinge because/due to the variations in melanin as well as the
carotene

-Pinkish color to some fair-skinned people is due to the presence of oxygen in the hemoglobin
of the RBC, within the dermal capillaries
 Sebaceous Glands
-Microscopic organs in the skin that secrete an oily substance called sebum that lubricates
and waterproofs the skin

-The glands are part of the pilosebaceous unit, which comprises the hair follicle, hair shaft,
and erector pili muscles (responsible for goosebumps).

-Work in tandem with the sweat-producing eccrine glands to regulate body temperature. In
hot conditions, the excreted sebum mixes with sweat to slow the rate of evaporation. In cold
temperatures, the sebum will contain more lipids to shield the hair and skin from moisture
that can facilitate heat loss.
-In addition to maintaining moisture and regulating temperatures, sebum contains squalene
and other substances that prevent bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms from causing
infection

-Protected by a thick, oily substance known as sebum, secreted by the sebaceous

glands.
Sebum – contains amino acids, lactic acids, salt, and urea.
- lubricates the skin, keeps it soft and pliable.
 Sweat Glands
-Distributed over entire skin surface. Is tubular, with a coiled base and tubelike
duct that extends to form a pore in the skin. Perspiration is excreted through
the pores.

-Under nervous system, these glands can be activitaed by several factors

including heat, pain, fever, and nervousness.

-Present in large numbers ( under arms, on the palm of the hands, soles of the
feet, and forehead).
- perspiration is excreted through the pores.
 Hair
-Fiber found only in mammals. It consists mainly of keratin-producing
keratinocytes. Each hair grows out of a follicle in the dermis. By the time the
hair reaches the surface, it consists mainly of dead cells filled with keratin

-Hair serves several homeostatic functions

-Head hair is important in preventing heat loss from the head and protecting
its skin from UV radiation.
-Hairs in the nose trap dust particles
and microorganisms in the air, and
prevent them from reaching the lungs

-Hair all over the body provides

sensory input when objects brush
against it, or when it sways in moving
air

-Eyelashes and eyebrows protect the

eyes from water, dirt, and other
irritants
 Nails
-Fingernails and toenails consist of dead keratinocytes filled with keratin

-The keratin makes them hard but flexible, which is important for the functions
they serve

-Nails prevent injury by forming protective plates over the ends of the fingers
and toes

-They also enhance sensation by acting as a counterforce to the sensitive

fingertips when objects are handled

- In addition, the fingernails can be used as tools.