Integumentary System

 Integumentary system includes:

 Skin (cutaneous membrane)
 Skin derivatives
 Sweat glands
 Oil glands
 Hair
 Nails
Skin (Integument) 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)
 Keratin protects the skin from water loss
Skin Functions

 Aids in loss or retention of body heat as controlled

by the nervous system
 Aids in excretion of urea and uric acid
 Synthesizes vitamin D
 Cutaneous sensory receptors detect touch,
temperature, pressure, and pain
Table 4.1 Functions of the Integumentary System (1 of 2).

© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.

Table 4.1 Functions of the Integumentary System (2 of 2).

© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.

Skin Structure

 Epidermis—outer layer
 Stratified squamous epithelium
 Cornified or keratinized (hardened by keratin) to
prevent water loss
 Avascular
 Most cells are keratinocytes
 Dermis
 Dense connective tissue
Figure 4.3 Skin structure.

Hair shaft

Dermal papillae
Epidermis
Papillary Pore
layer
Appendages of skin
• Eccrine sweat gland
• Arrector pili muscle
Dermis
Reticular • Sebaceous (oil) gland
layer • Hair follicle
• Hair root

Hypodermis
(subcutaneous
tissue)

Adipose tissue

© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.

Skin Structure

 Subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis) is deep to

dermis
 Not technically part of the skin
 Anchors skin to underlying organs
 Composed mostly of adipose tissue
 Serves as a shock absorber and insulates deeper
tissues
Layers of the Epidermis

 The epidermis is composed of up to five layers

 The epidermis is avascular
 Most of the cells in the epidermis are keratinocytes
 Keratin, a fibrous protein, makes the epidermis tough
 The layers are covered, next, from deepest to most
superficial
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
Layers of the Epidermis

 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)
Layers of the Epidermis

 Summary of layers from deepest to most

superficial
 Stratum basale
 Stratum spinosum
 Stratum granulosum
 Stratum lucidum (thick, hairless skin only)
 Stratum corneum
Figure 4.4 The main structural features of the epidermis.

Keratinocytes

Epidermal
Desmosomes dendritic cell
Stratum corneum. Cells are dead;
represented only by flat
membranous sacs filled with
keratin. Glycolipids in extracellular
space.

Stratum granulosum. Cells are

flattened, organelles are deteriorating;
cytoplasm full of granules.

Stratum spinosum. Cells contain

thick bundles of intermediate
filaments made of pre-keratin.

Stratum basale. Cells are actively

Merkel dividing stem cells; some newly
cell formed cells become part of the more
superficial layers.

Dermis
Sensory
Melanocytes Melanin nerve
granules ending
© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.
Melanin

 Pigment (melanin) produced by melanocytes

 Color is yellow to brown to black
 Melanocytes are mostly in the stratum basale
 Melanin accumulates in membrane-bound granules
called melanosomes
 Amount of melanin produced depends upon
genetics and exposure to sunlight
Dermis

 Two layers
1. Papillary layer (upper dermal region)
 Projections called dermal papillae
 Some contain capillary loops
 Others house pain receptors (free nerve endings) and
touch receptors
 Fingerprints are identifying films of sweat
Dermis

 Two layers
2. Reticular layer (deepest skin layer)
 Blood vessels
 Sweat and oil glands
 Deep pressure receptors
 Cleavage or tension lines
Dermis

 Overall dermis structure

 Collagen and elastic fibers located throughout the
dermis
 Collagen fibers give skin its toughness
 Elastic fibers give skin elasticity
 Blood vessels play a role in body temperature
regulation
 Nerve supply sends messages to the central
nervous system
Figure 4.5 Light micrograph of the two regions of the dermis (100×).

Epidermis

Papillary
layer

Dermis

Reticular
layer

© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.

Appendages of the Skin

 Cutaneous glands are all exocrine glands

 Sebaceous glands
 Sweat glands
 Hair
 Hair follicles
 Nails
Appendages of the Skin

 Sebaceous (oil) glands

 Produce sebum (oil)
 Lubricant for skin
 Prevents brittle hair
 Kills bacteria
 Most have ducts that empty into hair follicles; others
open directly onto skin surface
 Glands are activated at puberty
Figure 4.7a Cutaneous glands.
Sweat
pore

Sebaceous Eccrine
gland gland

Sebaceous
gland duct
Dermal connective
tissue

Hair in
hair follicle
Secretory cells

(a) Photomicrograph of a sectioned

sebaceous gland (100×)
© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.
Appendages of the Skin

 Sweat (sudoriferous) glands

 Produce sweat
 Widely distributed in skin
Appendages of the Skin

 Two types of sweat glands

1. Eccrine glands
 Open via duct to pore on skin surface
 Produce sweat
Appendages of the Skin

 Sweat:
 Composition
 Mostly water
 Salts and vitamin C
 Some metabolic waste
 Fatty acids and proteins (apocrine only)
 Function
 Helps dissipate excess heat
 Excretes waste products
 Acidic nature inhibits bacteria growth
 Odor is from associated bacteria
Appendages of the Skin

 Two types of sweat glands

2. Apocrine glands
 Ducts empty into hair follicles
 Begin to function at puberty
 Release sweat that also contains fatty acids and
proteins (milky or yellowish color)
Appendages of the Skin

 Hair
 Produced by hair follicle
 Root is enclosed in the follicle
 Shaft projects from the surface of the scalp or skin
 Consists of hard keratinized epithelial cells
 Melanocytes provide pigment for hair color
 Hair grows in the matrix of the hair bulb in stratum
basale
Appendages of the Skin

 Associated hair structures

 Hair follicle
 Dermal and epidermal sheath surround hair root
 Arrector pili muscle
 Smooth muscle
 Pulls hairs upright when person is cold or frightened
 Sebaceous gland
 Sudoriferous gland
Figure 4.8a Structure of a hair and hair follicle.

Hair
shaft
Arrector
pili
Sebaceous
gland
Hair root

Hair bulb
in follicle
(a)

© 2015 Pearson Education, Limited.

Appendages of the Skin

 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