Integumentary System

Integumentary System
 Integumentary system - consists of the skin, its accessory structures such as hair and sweat
glands, and the subcutaneous tissue below the skin.
 Skin - is made of several different tissue types and is considered an organ.
 Keratinocytes - a cell of the epidermis that produces keratin, is formed in the basal epidermal
layer above the dermis.
 Melanocytes - A type of pigment cell that, in particular, produce melanin, and occurs in the
epidermal layer of the skin, in the uveal layer of the eye, the inner ear, the meninges, the heart,
and the bones.
 Merkel cells - also known as Merkel-Ranvier cells or tactile epithelial cells, are oval-shaped
mechanoreceptors essential for light touch sensation and found in the skin of vertebrates.
 Langerhans cells - are tissue-resident dendritic cells of the skin, and contain organelles called
Birbeck granules. They are present in all layers of the epidermis and are most prominent in the
stratum spinosum.
 Exocrine gland- glands that secrete substances onto an epithelial surface by way of a duct.
 sebum – a yellowish, oily substance secreted by the aptly named sebaceous glands that are
found on nearly every surface of the body
 Arterioles are small arteries, and the smooth muscle in their walls permits them to constrict
(close) or dilate (open). This is important in the maintenance of body temperature.
 Collagen - the most abundant protein in your body. It is the major component of connective
tissues that make up several body parts.
Two major layers of the skin

1. Epidermis (the outer layer) - is made of stratified squamous keratinizing epithelial tissue and is
thickest on the palms and soles. The cells that are most abundant are called keratinocytes, and
there are no capillaries present between them.
Epidermis further subdivided into five sublayers:
1. Stratum basale – is the deepest stratum, which consist of cuboidal or columnar cells (keratinocytes,
melanocytes and Merkel cells), that undergo mitotic divisions about 19 days.
2. Stratum spinosum – a layer where Langerhans cells are found along with many rows of spiny
keratinocytes.
3. Stratum granulosum – grainy appearance due to further changes to the keratinocytes as they
pushed from the stratum spinosum.
4. Stratum lucidum – a smooth, seemingly translucent layer of the epidermis located just above the
stratum granulosum and below the stratum corneum.
5. Stratum corneum – the most superficial stratum of the epidermis. It consist of dead, squamous cells
filled with the hard protein keratin.
Fig 28: the Skin Layers
2. Dermis (the inner) - s is made of an irregular type of fibrous connective tissue, irregular meaning
that the fibers are not parallel, but run in all directions. Fibroblasts produce both collagen and
elastin fibers.
Fig 29: Common Skin Disorders:

Accessory of Skin Structures:
 Hair – hair of the skin is made of columns of tightly packed dead keratinocytes found in most
regions of the body. Hair helps to protect the body from the UV radiation.
 Smooth muscles – associated with each hair follicle are smooth muscle cells, the arrector pili.
Contraction of the arrector pili causes the hair to become more perpendicular to the skin’s
surface, or to “stand on end”, and also produces a raised area of skin’s called “goose flesh”.
 Sebaceous gland – are exocrine glands found in then dermis of the skin that produce an oily
secretion known as sebum.
 Sudoriferous glands – exocrine glands found in the dermis commonly known as sweat gland.
o Eccrine sweat gland – found in almost every region of the skin and produce a secretion
of water and sodium chloride.
o Apocrine sweat gland - found mainly in the axillary and pubic region of the body.
 Ceruminous gland - are special exocrine glands found only in the dermis of the ear canal.
 Nails – are made of sheets of hardened keratinocytes and found on the distal ends of the
fingers and toes.

Integumentary System

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Integumentary System

Two major layers of the skin

Fig 29: Common Skin Disorders:

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