THE

INTEGUMENTARY
SYSTEM
Babilonia • Bañas • Dacles • Murilao
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
• Made up of the skin and its appendages:
hair, nails, sebaceous, ceruminous, and
sweat glands.
• Integument means a covering.
• The skin is waterproof, it protects us from UV
radiation, and through sweating, it dissipates
water and helps regulate body temperature.
Layers of the Skin
Layers of the Skin
• The skin is composed of two layers: the
upper, epidermis, and the lower, dermis or
corium.
Epidermis
• Composed of stratified, squamous,
keratinized epithelium.
• As cells move up to the surface of the
epidermis, they lose water, and their nuclei
change chemically, a process called
keratinization.
• Five layers of the epidermis: stratum corneum,
stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum
spinosum, stratum basale.
Keratin
• an intracellular fibrous protein that gives
hair, nails, and skin their hardness and
water-resistant properties
• keratinocyte – a cell that manufactures
and stores the protein keratin
Stratum Corneum
• the most superficial layer of the
epidermis
• usually 15 to 30 layers of cells
• This dry, dead layer helps prevent the
penetration of microbes and the
dehydration of underlying tissues, and
provides a mechanical protection
against abrasion for the more delicate,
underlying layers
• shed periodically and are replaced by
cells pushed up from the stratum
granulosum
Stratum Lucidum
• a smooth, seemingly translucent layer
of the epidermis located just above the
stratum granulosum and below the
stratum corneum
• thin layer of cells is found only in the
thick skin of the palms, soles, and digits
• cells in this layer are dead and
flattened
• densely packed with eleiden
Eleiden
• a clear protein rich in lipids, derived from
keratohyalin, which gives cells their
transparent appearance and provides a
barrier to water
Stratum Granulosum
• has a grainy appearance due to
further changes to the keratinocytes as
they are pushed from the stratum
spinosum
• become flatten, their cell membranes
thicken, and they generate large
amounts of the proteins keratin and
keratohyalin
Stratum Spinosum
• spiny in appearance due to the protruding
cell processes that join the cells via a
structure called a desmosome
• composed of 8-10 layers of keratinocytes,
formed as a result of cell division
• interspersed among the keratinocytes of
this layer is a type of dendritic cell called
the Langerhans cell
• keratinocytes in the stratum spinosum
begin the synthesis of keratin and release a
water-repelling glycolipid
Langerhans Cell
• functions as a macrophage by engulfing
bacteria, foreign particles, and damaged
cells that occur in the stratum spinosum
Stratum Basale
• also called the stratum germinativum
• deepest epidermal layer and attaches
the epidermis to the basal lamina
• a finger-like projection, or fold, known
as the dermal papilla is found in the
superficial portion of the dermis
• single layer of cuboidal-shaped
keratinocytes
• two other cell types are found
dispersed among the basal cells in the
stratum basale: Merkel cell and
melanocyte.
Merkel Cell
• functions as a receptor and is responsible
for stimulating sensory nerves that the brain
perceives as touch
• abundant on the surfaces of the hands
and feet
Melanin
• gives hair and skin its color, and also helps
protect the living cells of the epidermis from
ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage
• melanocyte – a cell that that produces a
pigment melanin
Dermis
• Also called corium or true skin and is
composed of dense connective tissue.
• Blood and lymph vessels, nerves, muscles,
glands, and hair follicles are found in this
layer.
• Divided into two portions: papillary layer and
the reticular layer.
Papillary Layer
• superficial layer of the dermis that
borders on the epidermis
• made of loose, areolar connective
tissue, which means the collagen and
elastin fibers of this layer form a loose
mesh.
• contains phagocytes, defensive cells
that help fight bacteria or other
infections that have breached the skin.
Reticular Layer
• composed of dense, irregular
connective tissue
• well vascularized and has a rich
sensory and sympathetic nerve supply
• appears reticulated (net-like) due to a
tight meshwork of fibers
Collagen Fibers
• provide structure and tensile strength,
with strands of collagen extending into
both the papillary layer and the
hypodermis
• binds water to keep the skin hydrated
Elastin Fibers
• provide some elasticity to the skin,
enabling movement
Subcutaneous Layer
• also called the hypodermis or superficial
fascia.
• consists of well-vascularized, loose, areolar
connective tissue and adipose tissue, which
functions as a mode of fat storage and
provides insulation and cushioning for the
integument.
Accessory Structures of the Skin
Appendages of the Skin
• Includes the hair, sebaceous glands,
ceruminous or wax glands, and sweat
glands.
The Hair
• Covers the entire body except the palms,
soles, and parts of the genetalia.
• Made of three parts: the outer cuticle, the
cortex, and the inner medulla.
• Visible portion of the hair is called shaft.
• Root of a hair is in a hair follicle.
• When the arrector pili smooth muscle
contracts, a “goose flesh”occur.
Hair Growth
• Hair growth begins with the cells deep
in the hair follicle at the hair bulb
growing by mitosis and nourished by
blood vessels.
• Hair grows in cycles rests between
cycles.
Hair Texture
• Can be classified as straight, curly, or
tight curly, and is due to genetic
factors.
• Hair in the alpha keratin chain is elastic;
when stretched, it is in the beta keratin
chain.
Hair Color
• Determined by complex genetic
factors.
• Gray hair occurs when pigment is
absent in the cortex.
• White hair results from both the absence
of pigment and air bubbles in the shaft.
• Heredity and other unknown factors
cause hair to turn gray.
The Nails
• A modification of epidermal cells made of
very hard keratin.
• Lunula is the white crescent at the proximal
end of a nail caused by air mixed with keratin.
• The nail body is the visible portion of a nail
root is the part covered by skin.
• The nail grows from the nail bed.
• The cuticle is stratum corneum that extends
over the nail body.
Sebaceous Glands
• oil glands are found in the dermis
• produce sebum – an oily, waxy secretion
containing many lipids.
• can provide a rich environment for the
growth of bacteria.
Ceruminous Glands
• wax glands
• special exocrine glands found only in the
dermis of the ear canals
• produce a waxy secretion known as
cerumen to protect the ear canals and
lubricate the eardrum
Sweat Glands
• or surodefirous glands located in the dermis.
• produces sweat – a water-based secretion,
containing electrolytes – sodium salts, urea,
and even trace amounts of uric acid.
• contributes towards clearing some of the
metabolic byproducts of the body.
Eccrine Sweat Glands
• found in almost every region of
the skin and produce a secretion
of water and sodium chloride
• delivered via a duct to the
surface of the skin and is used to
lower the body’s temperature
through evaporative cooling
Apocrine Sweat Glands
• found in mainly in the axillary
and pubic regions of the body
• ducts of apocrine sweat glands
extend into the follicles of hairs so
that the sweat produced by these
glands exits the body along the
surface of the hair shaft
Functions of the Integumentary System
Sensation
• Receptor sites for changes in temperature
(hot and cold) and pressure (pleasure and
pain) are found in the skin.
• Combinations of stimulations result in the
sensations of itching, burning, and tickling.
Protection
• Prevents the entrance of harmful physical
and chemical agents in the body .
• Melanin protects us from the harmful
ultraviolet rays of the sun.
• Lipid content of the skin prevents excessive
water and electrolyte loss.
• Acidic pH of skin kills most bacteria and
microorganisms that come in contact with
our skin.
Thermoregulation
• Normal body temperature is regulated by
blood vessel dilation and constriction in the
dermis of the skin.
• Sweating is an evaporation process that
cools the body.
Secretion
• Sebum has antifungal and antibacterial
properties.
• Sweat contains waste products such as urea,
uric acid, and ammonia.
• The skin manufactures vitamin D through
exposure to UV rays of the sun.