OVERVIEW OF THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM:

 Also known as the “Integument”

 Takes up 16% of your body weight
 Separates you from the outside world.
 Endures:
o Microorganisms
o Ultraviolet Rays
o Injuries – Cuts, Scrapes, Etc.
o Chemicals.
 Has 2 Main Parts
1. Skin (cutaneous membrane)
a. Epidermis
b. Dermis
 Underlying area of connective tissues
 Extension network of blood vessels and sensory receptors.
 Sensory Receptors: touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
2. Accessory Structures Mostly in dermis but
 Hair protrudes through
 Nails epidermis to skin surface.
 Exocrine Glands (eg. Sebaceous (oil) glands)
 The integument is separated from the deep fascia around other organs, such as muscles
and bones, by the hypodermis
o The hypodermis is also called the subcutaneous layer.
o It has a lot of adipose tissue.

Functions of the Cutaneous Layer and Subcutaneous Layer:

1. Protection – against impact, abrasion, loss of water, and chemical attack.
2. Excretion- water, salts, and organic wastes.
3. Maintenance – of normal body temperature (using sweat and adipose layer)
4. Synthesis of Vitamin D – a steroid converted to a hormone that helps produce calcium.
5. Detection – touch, pressure, pain, and temperature (remember as TPPT); sends info out
to the nervous system.

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 Epidermis
 Made of stratified squamous epithelium.
 Avascular
 More active cells 0 close to dermis.
 Superficial cells – dead or inactive.
 Most of the squamous cells are keratinocytes – produce large amounts of keratin.
o Keratin: is a protein produced in skin, hair, and nails.
 Thin skin
o covers most of the body
o 4 layers of keratinocytes
o About .08 mm
 Thick skin
o On palms and soles
o 5 Layers of keratinocytes
o About .5 mm

Layers of Epidermis
 Called stratum (meaning “layer.” Pl. – “strata.”)
1. stratum germinativuum
 Germinative cells divide to replace
lost skin cells
 Melanocytes produce pigment of
melanin.
 Contours of the skin follow ridges in
this layer (fingerprints)
 Ridges interlock with dermis (more
folds = stronger bond)
 The hemidesmosomes attach cells to
basal lamina.
2. stratum spinosum
 Daughter cells from germinativum
cells are pushed here (continue 2
divide)
3. stratum granulosum
 cells stop dividing – start producing lots of keratin.
4. stratum lucidum
 cells become more flat, densely packed, filled with keratin.
5. stratum corneum
 cells are dead, filled with keratin.
 Exposed to the surface
 Cells are connected by hemidesmosomes.
 Water-resistant, but not water-proof.
 You lose 500 mL of water per day due to evaporation.
 Insensible perspiration – cannot feel waterloss.

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The Basis of Skin Color
 Based on skin pigments and dermal circulation.
 The epidermis has two pigments:
1. carotine
 found in orange vegetables
 yellow/orange pigment
 accumulates in stratum corneum and fatty
tissue
2. melanin
 made by melanocytes in stratum germinatum
 brown, yellow-brown, or black colored
pigment
 travels upwards
 some travel farther than others
 more towards surface in darker skinned people
 Some melanocytes are more productive than others causing differences among
individuals and can make freckles.
 Tanning  UV protection
o Melanin is sent to protect cell nuclei
o Too much UV = damaging fibroblasts  premature wrinkling and skin cancer.
o Vitiligo – loss of melanocytes; probably an auto immune disorder – antibodies attack
melanocytes – affects 1% of population.
Role of Dermal Circulation
 The more blood flow to skin = more red.
 Pale = loss of circulation.
 Jaundice – liver is unable to excrete bile  yellowish bile accumulates in body fluids;
skin & white of eyes become yellow.
Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)
 Hormone made in salivary glands and glands in duodenum (top part of small intestine)
 Encourages and stimulates many epidermal activities
 Used to grow sheets of cells in tissue culture to treat burns.

Dermis
 Between the epidermis and subcutaneous layer
 Has two layers
1. papillary (superficial)
 gets its name from the dermal papillae the project between the dermal ridges.
 Consists of all the blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves that supply the
skin surface.
2. Reticular Layer (deeper)
 Dense irregular connective tissue containing collagen (strong & prevents too
much stretching) and elastic fibers.)
 Lines of Cleavage (Figure page 162)
o Useful for surgery; lines represent fiber bundles (collagen and elastic)
o Cut parallel to lines = minimum scarring; through line = bigger scar.
 Blood from bruises leak into the dermis; bruise = contusion

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 o Small blood vessels are damaged and leave a black and blue mark.
 Bedsores (decubitus ulcers)
o Blood flow is blocked to a certain body part because the skin is being pressed and the
body is not moving.
o Kills epidermal cells and allows bacteria in
o Deteriorates dermal tissue; tissue death = necrosis.
o Can be prevented by frequently changing the position of the body

Subcutaneous layer (Hypodermis)

 The Hypodermis has a lot of Areolar and adipose tissue and its quite elastic
 Adipose tissue “baby fat”. It is good for shock absorbing in the early years and it gets
redistributed in adulthood.
 Areolar tissue has a lot of blood. The hypodermis is considered to be a “blood
reservoir” because if the blood vessels constrict, the blood will flow to the other parts of
the body.

Accessory Structures
 Starts in the dermis and project through the Integumentary surface.
o Hair, hair follicles
o Sebaceous glands
o Sweat glands
o Nails
 HAIR
 75% of the hair is not on the head
 hairs are nonliving structures produced in organs called Hair Follicles
 Functions: Head: UV protection, insulation (warmth), some cushioning
Nostrils +ear canals: guarding against foreign particles and insects.
Eyelashes: similar to nostrils and external ear
 All hairs are sensory receptors
 Each hair follicle is connected to root hair plexus (nerve fibers at the end of the follicle.
 You can feel a single hair moving
 Arrector pili muscle: smooth muscle that contracts under certain conditions it contracts
due to cold temp. , certain emotions, fear, rage…
 Hair Production:
o Hair follicles produce cells that get pushed up and keratinized.
o Living cells at bottom after being keratinized and pushed up, the cells become dead
 Hair Growth Cycle:

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 o Scalp hair grows for 2-5 yrs. at a rate of .33 mm per day.
o Nutrients get incorporated into hair structures
o Heavy metals, drugs  can be detected.
o DNA available from cells at the base of hairs
o A person loses about 50 hairs per day from the head normal
o Vellus Hairs- “peach fuzz” localized on much of the body surface
o Terminal hairs- heavier more pigmented.
o Some vellus hairs become terminal at puberty.
 Hair Color:
o Variations in the pigment made by melanocytes located at the base of the hair
o Different colors of the melanin can be dark brown, yellow brown, or red
o Pigments stop being produced with age  White hairs

 GLANDS
 2 types: sebaceous (oil) glands; Sudoriferous (sweat) glands
 SEBACEOUS Holocrine glands an oily lipid secretion into hair follicle.
 Arrector pili contractions squeeze the oil (Sebum) out onto the skin surface.
 Sebum keeps keratinized cells from getting too dry and brittle
 We like to wash away the sebum and use creams and lotions
 Sebaceous follicles: bot associated with a hair follicle but where sebaceous glands are.
 Found on face, back, chest, nipples, and external genitalia.
 Sweat glands: a.k.a.- Sudoriferous glands
 2 types: Apocrine; Merocrine
 Apocrine does not really use Apocrine secretion, it just has that name because it was
formerly believed. The real method is also Merocrine.

APOCRINE MEROCRINE (eccrine)

 in armpits, around nipples, in pubic regions  far more numerous; mostly on palms + soles
 Products are secreted into the hair follicles  Secreted directly onto the skin surface
 Sweat cloudy, potentially odorous  Begins secretion when there is temperature
 Begins secreting at puberty increase
 Good nutrient source for bacteria makes it  The sweat is 99% water, some there is some
even more smelly salt and tiny amounts of waste products

Functions of Merocrine Sweat:

 Cools surface of skin to reduce body temperature
 Fights microorganisms( sweat is slightly acidic)
 Washes surface  flush off bacteria
 Dermicidin- small peptide that is an antibiotic

Other Integumentary glands:

 Mammary glands of breasts: similar in anatomy(structure) to the Apocrine sweat glands

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 Ceruminous glands: modified sweat glands in the passageway of the external ear
o The secretions of these glands combined with the secretions of nearby sebaceous
glands make Cerumen- ear wax. This helps to trap particles to protect the ear
drum.
 NAILS
 They protect tips of fingers and toes
 Nail body visible part; covers part of finger/ toe called Nail bed
 Nail production occurs at the nail root- not visible from the outside
 Nails have pinkish color because the underlying blood vessels
show through- except at the lunula- pale crescent where blood
vessels are blocked
 Nail body dead, tightly packed, keratinized cell
 Appearance of nails are useful to help diagnose certain diseases
 It can turn yellow, be pitted, concaved, distorted, etc.

The Response of the Integument to injury:

 Repair for the Integumentary system is based on local regulation doesn’t need signals
from nervous or endocrine system for repair.
 Callus- stem cells in stratum germinativum divide more rapidly depth of epithelium
increases
 Repair of localized Injuries: (diagram pg 170-171)
 Scab- blood clot- temporary covering to protect the wound
 Made of fibrin a protein that forms from blood proteins during the clotting response
 Cells of the Stratum Germinativum migrate along the edged of the wound to replace lost
cells.
 Macrophages move in to phagocitize debris and pathogens.
 Scar tissue  results from lots of collagen fibers produce by fibroblasts
 Damaged sweat glands, hair follicles and sweat glands are not repaired
 Keloids usually on dark skin; thickened mass of scar tissue that grows into the
surrounding tissue. Thick, raised, with shiny smooth surface.

Aging and Integumentary System:

 Germinative cell activity decreases epidermis thins
 Vitamin D3 production goes down by 75%--> muscle weakness (muscle contractions
depend on (Calcium ions) and reduced bone strength
 Activity of melanocytes decreases (no UV protection) pale skin; and become more
vulnerable to sunburn
 Sweat and Sebaceous gland activity decreases dry skin; and risk of overheating
 Blood supply to the dermis decreases skin is cools(person feels cold even when warm)
 Hair follicles produce thinner and white hairs
 Dermis thins, elastic fiber network reduced
 Integument is weaker sagging + wrinkling especially skin that’s been exposed to sun
 Skin repair more slow; danger of recurring infections