HUMAN HISTOLOGY
INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM Epidermis
Includes: Composition: keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
• Skin Thick skin Thin skin
• Nails Layer Thicker Thin and simpler
• Hair Glands Sweat glands Sweat glands
• Sweat glands Sebaceous glands
• Sebaceous glands Hair follicles None Present
Location Palms, soles Remainder of the
Major function: body
• Protection
o Abrasion
o Water
o UV-ray damage
• Temperature regulation
o Evaporation of sweat from skin surfaces
o Dilation of blood vessels
o Constriction of blood vessels
• Sensory perception
o Skin is the largest sensory organ
o Houses three sensory receptors:
▪ Meissner’s corpuscle
▪ Pacinian corpuscle
▪ Arrector pili muscle
• Excretion
o With the help of sweat glands skin excretes:
▪ Water
▪ Sodium
▪ Salts
▪ Urea
▪ Nitrogenous wastes
• Formation of vit D
Skin
Two major
division/layers:
• Epidermis
• Dermis
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 1
HUMAN HISTOLOGY
Cells present in Epidermis
Keratinocytes
• Produces keratin
• Location: outer layer of the skin
• Function: form protective epidermal layer
Melanocytes
• Produces melanin
• Location: between stratum basale and stratum spinosum
• Function: protects skin from UV radiation
Epidermal Layers
• Stratum Basale
• Stratum Spinosum
• Stratum Granulosum
• Stratum Lucidum
• Stratum Corneum
Stratum Basale
Composition Simple columnar to simple cuboidal cells
Location Deepest layer, adheres to a basement
membrane
Function Acts as stem cells for epidermis
Produce and contain intermediate keratin
filaments
Two important cell junction:
• Desmosomes – cell to cell
• Hemidesmosomes – cell to basement membrane
Stratum Spinosum
• Forms spines (prickle cells)
Composition Four to six rows of cells
Function Synthesis of tonofilaments
Provide resistance to abrasion
Stratum Granulosum
Composition 3-5 layers of flattened cells with dense
basophilic keratohyalin granules
Langerhans cells Function Production of soft keratin
Provides lipid layer and renders skin
• Macrophage of the skin
impermeable to water
• Location: stratum spinosum
• Function: acts as antigen presenting cell
Stratum Lucidum
Merkel’s cells
• Found in thick skin only
• Location: basal layer of epidermis
• Abundant in fingertips, associated with Composition Flattened cells with densely packed keratin
• Function: detects pressure (mechanoreceptors) filaments
Function Protection against UV ray damage
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 2
HUMAN HISTOLOGY
Stratum Corneum Reticular Layer
• Fifth and most superficial layer of the skin • Deeper layer of dermis composed of dense irregular
• One of the reason for skin’s elasticity connective tissue
• Forms cleavage made from network of collagen fibrils
Composition Flattened dead cells filled with soft • Less cellular but highly vascular
keratin filaments • Contains: collagen and Pacinian corpuscle
Function Protection of underlying epidermal cells
Types of cleavage lines
Tension Found in trunk and neck
lines
Flexure lines Found in fingers and toes, and also in
places where dermis needs to fold to
accommodate movement
Dermis
• Connective tissue layer beneath epidermis and contains
epidermal derivatives
• Contains blood vessel, lymph vessels, and nerves
Function:
• Temperature regulation
• Sensory reception
Two layers of Dermis
Papillary Layer
• Superficial layer composed of loose coonective tissue
• Located inferior to epidermis attached via dermal
papillae
• Contains: capillaries, blood vessels, fibroblasts, and
macrophages, Meissner’s corpuscle
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 3
HUMAN HISTOLOGY
Hypodermis Layers of the hair
• Also called the ‘subcutaneous layer” which lies inferior to Medulla Soft, flexible, central layer
dermis Contains soft keratin
• Composition: superficial fascia and adipose tissue Cortex Thickest layer superior to medulla
• Vascular and houses bases of air follicles and sweat Contains hard keratin
glands Cuticle A layer of hard overlapping cells
Also contains hard keratin
Function
• Thermos regulation Structures
• Contributes to body shape (esp. in females)
Hair bulb Rest on hair papilla
Site of mitosis if epithelial cells
Hair papilla Extension of the dermis that produces into
hair bulb
Contains blood vessels which supply
nutrients to the growing hair
Hair root The part of the air embedded in the skin
surface
Hair shaft Part of the hair above the skin surface
Internal root Keratinized cells that serves as initial
sheath protective layer of cuticle cells and
entrance of the ducts of sebaceous ducts
External A tubular invagination continuous with
root sheath epidermal cells but does not take in hair
information
Glassy Lining that separates ERS with connective
membrane tissue root sheath
Arrector pili Small bundle of smooth muscle cells
muscle Responsive for Goosebumps
Promotes release of heat and sebum
Hair
• Thread like cells developed from epidermis
• Contains:
Function:
• Provides protection
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 4
HUMAN HISTOLOGY
Sweat glands
Has two types:
• Eccrine sweat glands
• Apocrine glands
Types of Sweat Glands
Eccrine Apocrine
Characteristic Simple, coiled Simple, coiled,
tubular tubular
Secretion Sweat Pheromones
Found in Abundant in Armpits, areola,
palms, soles, genitalia
forehead
Lumen Narrow Wide
Composition Stratified Simple cuboidal
cuboidal
Identify the pointed structures
• Yellow arrow:
• Green star:
• Red heart:
• Red bracket:
Identify the pointed structures
• Yellow arrow:
• Blue arrow:
• Yellow star:
• Red arrow:
• Red star:
Glands
Sebaceous glands
• Red star:
• Simple, branched acinar gland • Yellow arrow:
• function produce sebum which lubricates the skin and
hair
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 5
HUMAN HISTOLOGY
Ceruminous glands Parts
• Apocrine gland found in external ear canal lining Nail root Part of the nail hidden under skin folds
• Function: produce cerumen Cuticle Also called eponychium
Thin layer of epithelium that covers your nail
Mammary glands during development
Nail plate Thin plate of dead cells
• Apocrine gland found in female breast
Nail bed Where nail plate lied
• Function: produce breast milk
Thick layer of epithelium
Nails
• A thin plate that consists of layers of dead stratum
corneum
• Contains hard keratin
Function:
• Aid in grasping objects
• For scratching
• Protect fingers and toes
Alcancia F.M.E | UERM-MT 6