The Integumentary
System
- the dermis
T. Rick
How come your hair keeps growing
back?
Where do our hair and nails come
from?
Student objectives
1. Define the dermis and the tissue of which it is made.
2. Describe the functions of hair and nails.
3. Name the cutaneous senses and explain their
importance.
4. Describe functions of the secretions of sebaceous
glands and the eccrine sweat glands.
5. Describe how the arterioles in the dermis respond to
heat, cold, and stress.
Dermis
The dermis is made of irregular
type of fibrous connective tissue.
The dermis contains accessory skin
structures: hair and nail follicles,
sensory receptors, and several
types of glands.
Irregular means that the fibers are
not parallel, but run in all
directions.
Fibroblasts produce both collagen
and elastin fibers.
Strength and elasticity are two
characteristics of the dermis.
Papillary Junction
The uneven junction of the dermis
with the epidermis is called
papillary junction.
Capillaries are abundant here to
nourish the dermis and epidermis.
Hair Follicles
Hair follicles are made of epidermal
tissue, and the growth process of
hair is very similar to the growth of
the epidermis.
At the base is the hair root, which
contains cells called the matrix,
where mitosis takes place.
New cells produce keratin, get their
color from melanin, then die and
become part of the hair shaft, which
is pushed towards the surface of the
skin.
Hair growth averages 8-10
mm/month.
Functions of human hair
Eyelashes and eyebrows help to
keep dust and perspiration out of
eyes.
Hairs in nostrils help to keep dust
out of nasal cavities.
Hair of the scalp provides
insulation from cold on the head.
Attached to each hair follicle is a
small, smooth muscle called
pilomotor. It gives us
‘goosebumps’.
Nail Follicles
At the end of fingers and toes, nail
follicles produce nails just as hair
follicles produce hair.
Mitosis takes place in the nail root
at the base of the nail, and the
new cells produce keratin and then
die.
The nail itself consists of
keratinized dead cells, the flat nail
bed is living epidermis and dermis.
Fingernails grow about
3mm/month.
Functions of nails
Nails protect the end of fingers and
toes from mechanical injury and
gives the fingers greater ability to
pick up small objects.
Fingernails are also good for
scratching:
Arthropod parasite, mosquito, tick,
or flea.
Receptors
Receptors and sensations provide the
central nervous system with
information about the external
environment and its effects on the
skin.
Most sensory receptors for the
cutaneous senses are found in the
dermis.
Cutaneous senses are touch, heat,
cold, and pain.
Free nerve endings feel pain, heat,
or cold.
Encapsulated nerve endings feel
touch and pressure.
Sensitivity
The sensitivity of an area of skin is
determined by how many receptors
are present.
Fingertips are very sensitive to
touch because there are many
receptors.
Glands
Glands are made of epithelial
tissue:
1. Sebaceous Glands
2. Sweat Glands
Sebaceous Glands
The ducts of sebaceous glands
open into hair follicles or directly
to the skin surface.
They secrete sebum, a lipid
substance (oil):
Inhibits the growth of bacteria on
the skin surface
Prevents drying of skin and hair.
Adolescents may have problems of
overactive sebaceous glands. Too
much sebum traps bacteria in hair
follicles and create small
infections.
Sweat Glands
There are two types of sweat
glands:
1. Apocrine glands: most numerous
in underarm and genital areas.
Sensitive to stress and emotional
situations.
2. Eccrine glands: all over body, but
numerous on forehead, upper lip,
palms, and soles. Secretory portion
of these glands is a coiled tube in
the dermis. The duct to the skin’s
surface is called a pore.
Sweat
The sweat produced by eccrine
glands is important in the
maintenance of normal body
temperature.
A great deal of heat can be can be
lost in evaporation of relatively
small amount of water.
Loss of too much body water in
sweat may cause dehydration.
Sodium Chloride is also lost in
sweat, as are small amounts or
urea (a nitrogenous waste product
of amino acid metabolism).
Blood Vessels
Besides the capillaries in the dermis,
arterioles are of great importance.
Arterioles are small arteries, and the
smooth muscle in their walls permits them
to constrict (close) or dilate (open) to
maintain body temperature.
When arterioles dilate (vasodilation),
blood flow increases in dermis and
releases heat through skin.
When arterioles contract
(vasoconstriction), blood flow is
decreased keeping heat inside body.
Vasoconstriction may occur during
stressful situations, because of ‘fight or
flight response’.
Review
Define the dermis and the tissue of which it is made.
Where, on the body, does human hair have important functions? Describe these
functions.
Describe the functions of nails.
Name the cutaneous senses and explain their importance.
Explain the functions of sebum.
How do the arterioles in the dermis respond to heat, cold, and stress?
