CHAPTER 4: INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

Body Membranes
 Functions:
 Cover body surfaces
 Line body cavities
 Form protective sheets around organs
 Classifications:
1. Epithelial membranes
a. Cutaneous membranes
 Skin
 Dry membrane
 Outermost protective boundary
 Superficial epidermis is composed of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
 Underlying dermis is mostly dense connective tissue
b. Mucous membranes
 Surface epithelium type depends on site
o Stratified squamous epithelium (mouth and esophagus)
o Simple columnar epithelium (rest of digestive tract)
 Underlying loose connective tissue (lamina propria)
 Lines all body cavities that open to the exterior body surface
 Often adapted for absorption or secretion
c. Serous membranes
 Surface is a layer of simple squamous epithelium
 Underlying layer is a thin layer of areolar connective tissue
 Lines open body cavities that are closed to the exterior of the body
 Serous membranes occur in pairs separated by serous fluid
o Visceral layer covers the outside of the organ
o Parietal layer lines a portion of the wall of ventral body cavity
 Specific serous membranes
o Peritoneum – abdominal cavity
o Pleura – around the lungs
o Pericardium – around the heart
2. Connective tissue membranes
 Synovial membranes
 Connective tissue only
 Lines fibrous capsules surrounding joints
 Secretes a lubricating fluid

INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
I. Skin (Cutaneous Membrane)
A. Functions
 Protects deeper tissues from:
 Mechanical damage (bumps)
 Chemical damage (acids and bases)
 Bacterial damage
 Ultraviolet radiation (sunlight)
 Thermal damage (heat or cold)
 Desiccation (drying out)
 Aids in body heat loss or heat retention as controlled by the nervous system
 Aids in secretion of urea and uric acid
 Synthesizes vitamin D
B. Structure
1. Epidermis
 Outer layer
 Stratified squamous epithelium
 Cornified or keratinized (hardened by keratin to prevent water loss
 Avascular
 Most cells are keratinocytes
a. Layers of the Epidermis
 Stratum basale (stratum germinativum)
 Deepest layer of epidermis
 Lies next to dermis
 Wavy borderline with the dermis anchors the two together
 Cells undergoing mitosis
 Daughter cells are pushed upward to become the more superficial
layers
 Stratum spinosum
 Stratum granulosum
 Stratum lucidum
 Formed from dead cells of the deeper strata
 Occurs only in thick, hairless skin of the palms of hands and soles of
feet
 Stratum Corneum
 Outermost layer of epidermis
 Shingle-like dead cells are filled with keratin (protective protein
prevents water loss from skin)
o Melanin
 Pigment (melanin)produced by melanocytes
 Melanocytes are mostly in the stratum basale
 Color is yellow to brown to black
 Amount of melanin produced depends upon genetics and exposure to sunlight
2. Dermis
 Dense connective tissue
a. Layers
1. Papillary layer (upper dermal region)
 Projections called dermal papillae
 Some contain capillary loops
 Other house pain receptors and touch receptors
2. Reticular layer (deepest skin layer)
 Blood vessels
 Sweat and oil glands deep pressure receptors
b. Overall dermis structure
 Collagen and elastic fibers located throughout the dermis
 Collagen fibers give skin it toughness
 Elastic fibers give skin elasticity
 Blood vessels play a role in body temperature regulation
3. Subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis)
 Deep to dermis
 Not technically part of the skin
 Anchors skin to underlying organs
 Compost mostly of adipose tissue
 II. Skin Derivatives
A. Sweat Glands
B. Oil Glands
C. Hair
D. Nails

III. Normal Skin Color Determinants

 Melanin – yellow, brown, or black pigments
 Carotene – orange-yellow pigment from some vegetables
 Hemoglobin
 Red coloring from blood cells in dermal capillaries
 Oxygen content determines the extent of red coloring

IV. Alteration in Skin Color

 Redness (erythema) – due to embarrassment, inflammation, hypertension, fever, or allergy
 Pallor (blanching) – due to emotional stress such as fear, anemia, low blood pressure, impaired blood
flow to an area
 Jaundice (yellowing) liver disorder
 Bruises – hematomas

V. Appendages of the Skin

A. Oil (sebaceous) glands
 Produce oil (sebum)
 Lubricant for skin
 Prevent brittle hair
 Kills bacteria
 Most have ducts that empty into hair follicles; others open directly onto skin surface
 Glands are activated at puberty
B. Sweat (sudoriferous) glands
 Produce sweat
 Widely distributed in skin
1. Two types of sudoriferous glands
a. Eccrine
 Open via duct to pore on skin surface
 Produce sweat (clear)
b. Apocrine
 Ducts empty into hair follicles
 Begin to function at puberty
 Release sweat that also contains fatty acids and proteins (milky/ yellowish
color)
2. Sweat and its Functions
a. Composition
 Mostly water
 Salts and vitamin C
 Some metabolic waste
 Fatty acids and proteins (apocrine only)
b. Function
 Helps dissipate excess heat
 Excretes waste products
 Acidic nature inhibits bacteria growth
c. Odor is from associated bacteria
 C. Hair
 Produced by hair follicle
 Consists of hard keratinized epithelial cells
 Melanocytes provide pigment for hair color
 Hair grows in the matrix of the hair bulb in stratum basale
1. Hair Anatomy
a. Central medulla
b. Cortex surrounds medulla
c. Cuticle on outside of cortex
 Most heavily keratinized
2. Associated Hair Structures
a. Hair follicle
 Dermal and epidermal sheath surround hair root
b. Arrector pili muscle
 Smooth muscle
 Pulls hairs upright when cold or frightened
c. Sebaceous gland
d. Sudoriferous gland
D. Nails
 Scale-like modifications of the epidermis
 Heavily keratinized
 Stratum basale extends beneath the nail bed
 Responsible for growth
 Lack of pigment makes them colorless
1. Nail Structures
o Free edge
o Body is the visible attached portion
o Root of the nail embedded in skin
o Cuticle is the proximal nail fold that projects onto the nail body

VI. Skin Homeostatic Imbalances

1. Burns
 Tissue damage and cell death caused by heat, electricity, UV radiation, or chemicals
 Associated dangers
 Dehydration
 Electrolyte imbalance
 Circulatory shock
a. Rules of Nines
 Way to determine the extent of burns
 Body is divided into 11 areas for quick estimation
 Each area represents about 9 percent of total body surface area
b. Severity of Burns
 First-degree burns
 Only epidermis is damaged
 Skin is red and swollen
 Second-degree burns
 Epidermis and upper epidermis are damaged
 Skin is red with blisters
 Third-degree burns
 Destroys entire skin layer; burned area is painless
 Burn is gray-white or black
 c. Critical Burns
 Burns are considered critical if:
 Over 25% of body has second-degree burns
 Over 10% of the body has third-degree burns
 There are third-degree burns of the face, hands, or feet
2. Infections and Allergies
 Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) – caused by fungal infection
 Boils and carbuncles – caused by bacterial infection
 Cold sores – caused by virus
 Contact dermatitis – exposures cause allergic reaction
 Impetigo – caused by bacterial infection
 Psoriasis – cause is unknown; triggered by trauma, infection, stress

Skin Cancer
 Abnormal cell mass
 Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer
1. Classification:
a. Benign – does not spread (encapsulated)
b. Malignant (metastasized (moves) to other parts of the body
2. Types
a. Basal cell carcinoma
 Least malignant
 Most common type
 Arises from stratum basale
b. Squamous cell carcinoma
 Metastasizes to lymph nodes if not removed
 Early removal allows a good chance of cure
 Believed to be sun-induced
 Arises from stratum spinosum
c. Malignant melanoma
 Most deadly of skin cancers
 Cancer of melanocytes
 Metastasizes rapidly to lymph and blood vessels
 Detection uses ABCD Rule
 ABCD Rule
o A = Asymmetry
 Two sides of pigmented mole do not match
o B = Border irregularity
 Borders of mole are not smooth
o C = Color
 Different colors in pigmented area
o D = Diameter
 Spot is larger than 6 mm in diameter