Integumentary System Lab Report 1

Integumentary System Lab Report

Ivory G. Casillas
C.H. Yoe High School
Integumentary System 2

Author Note

First paragraph: Structure: refer to figure 1 (11 labels on histology slides)

Second paragraph: Function: refer to figure 2 (eccrine sweat gland density)
Third paragraph: sensory reception of the skin, refer to figure 3 (two point
discrimination data) and figure 4 (homunculus drawing)
Fourth paragraph: Case study application to integumentary system, refer to figure 5
(case study infographic)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
(each figure will be correctly labeled, followed by a title, followed by a description of
information in figure)
APA Citations
Integumentary System 3

11 Labels on Histology Slides

Figure 1: Structure

The skin, the largest organ in the body by weight, and its various accessory structures make up
the integumentary system. The skin is a protective coverage to prevent many harmful substances
from entering the body. The skin includes two distinct layers. The outer layer is called the
epidermis which is composed of stratified squamous epithelium, so it lacks blood vessels. The
inner layer which is called the dermis, is a more thicker layer than the epidermis and its made
up of connective tissue containing collagen and elastic fibers, smooth muscle tissue, nervous
tissue, and blood. Under the dermis, masses of areolar and adipose tissues bind the skin and they
form the subcutaneous layer or the hypodermis. The epidermis has 5 layers: Stratum corneum,
Stratum lucidum, Stratum granulosum, Stratum spinosum, and Stratum basale. The subcutaneous
layer contains the major blood vessels that supply the skin. Many layers of tough, tightly stored
dead cells grow in the epidermis, forming an outermost layer called the stratum corneum.
Beneath the stratum corneum are three to five layers of flattened granular cells called stratum
granulosum. Under the stratum granulosum there are layers of cells centrally located, large, oval
nuclei called the stratum spinosum. In between the stratum corneum and stratum granulosum
on soles and palms are cells that appear clear but nuclei, organelles, and cell membranes are no
longer visible is a place called the stratum lucidum. The deepest layer where a single row of
cuboidal or columnar cells that divide and grow is called the stratum basale. The epidermis
shields the moist underlying tissues against water loss, mechanical injury, and the effects of
harmful chemicals, and also keeps out disease-causing microorganisms.
The boundary between the epidermis and the dermis is uneven, because ridges from the
epidermis project inward and cone-shaped dermal papillae. Dermal papillae are found in the skin
all over the body, but they are most abundant in the hands and feet. It increases the surface area
where epidermal cells receive oxygen and nutrients from dermal capillaries. The dermis secures
the epidermis to the underlying tissues. The dermis has two layers, the upper or papillary layer
which is composed of areolar connective tissue. The lower or reticular layer which is dense
irregular connective tissue that includes tough collagenous fibers and elastic fibers in a gel-like
ground substance. The dermis also contains accessory structures such as blood vessels, hair
follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands. Hair is presented on all skin surfaces, except
palms, lips, nipples, and parts of the reproductive organs. Each hair develops from a group of
epidermal cells at the base of a tubelike depression called a hair follicle. Each hair follicle is
associated with one or more sebaceous glands which produce oil.
Integumentary System 4

Sweat Gland Density

Figure 2: Function

Sweat Glands, or sudoriferous glands, are widespread in the skin. Each gland has a tiny tube that
begins as a ball-shaped coil in the deeper superficial subcutaneous layer . The coiled portion of
the gland is closed at its deep end and its lined with sweat-secreting epithelial cells. The most
numerous sweat glands, called eccrine glands, respond throughout life to body temperature
raised by heat of the environment or physical exercise. These glands appear plentiful on the
forehead, neck, and back, where they produce sweat on hot days or even during intense physical
activity. They also release the moisture that appears on the palms and soles when a person is
emotionally stressed. Sweat is mostly water, but it also has small amounts of salt and wastes like
urea and uric acid. Sweating is also an excretory function. The secretions of certain sweat glands
that develops a scent as skin bacteria metabolizes them is called apocrine glands. They become
more active at puberty when a person becomes emotionally upset ,frightened, or in pain. The
emotional stress causes the fatty secretion to the skin where bacteria breaks it down into odorous
fatty acids. In humans apocrine glands are concentrated in the underarm and genital regions, they
are inactive until they are stimulated by hormonal changes.

Sensory Reception of the Skin

Figure 3 & 4:

Sensory receptors respond to stimuli and transmit data about them to the brain. The skin
receptors detect touch, pressure, vibration, temperature, and pain. These receptors allow us to
feel whether objects are hard, soft, smooth, rough in texture. When the stimulus moves on the
skin, touch is perceived as stroking, tapping, or vibration. Sensations of touch are presented by
warm or cold temperatures or by painful or itching sensations. We experience these because the
information is processed by different sets of neurons in the central nervous system. The intensity
of contact force and speed of motion are identified by special sense organs in the skin called
mechanoreceptors, because they spot mechanical energy applied to the skin. The flexibility of
the skin allows these receptors to reveal the shape, texture, and pressure applied by the object
because the skin can feel it and form a mirror image its shape. The capsular structures link the
nerve terminal to the surface of the body, so therefore it plays a crucial role transducing the
tissue deformation that happens when something contacts skin. Several major classes of
mechanoreceptors have been identified in the human body. The principal touch receptors in the
hairless skin of the lips, palm, fingers, and sole of foot are the Meissner corpuscle and the Merkel
cell-neurite complex. These receptors are located close to the surface of the skin in the papillary
ridges that form the fingerprint patterns. The regions of the body that are used most to touch
other persons or things is the fingertips and lips because they have the largest number of receptor
organs in the skin and the smallest receptive fields. The more proximal regions of the body as in
the arm, the leg, and trunk, are less densely innervated and have fewer receptors The
Integumentary System 5

somatosensory nuclei of the brainstem thalamus use convergence of sensory information about
neighboring.

Case Study Application to Integumentary System

Figure 5: Case Study

Mark is a 35 year old weighing approximately 70 kg. He had a 3 hour drive across the desert
which it was supposed to be a hot July day. He left at 7AM and was supposed to make it at
11AM to his destination to see Sarah, his fiancee. When he didnt appear at noon, Sarah got
worried and called the highway patrol. BY 12:30 Search and REscue Officer Maria, reported
finding an abandoned car at the end of the road and shoe prints in the desert heading for the
mountains so she called for helicopter assistance. By 1pm Henry, the paramedic and a member
of the helicopter crew reported a shirtless, hatless man wandering down a desert wash. The radio
reported that at the same time the temperature for even being in the shade was 105 degrees
fahrenheit. The helicopter crewmembers found Mark still conscious, but very delirious. Henry
noted that Mark was weak, nauseous, disoriented, and was complaining about his headache. His
blood pressure was low -70-50- and he wasnt sweating.

His body temperature was high -105 degrees. Normally the temperature of deeper body parts
remains close to a set point of 98.6 degrees.

So they discovered that Mark had a heat stroke and that the paramedic also noticed first degree
burns on his face and back. Heatstroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 degrees, with
complication involving the central nervous system that occurs after being in extreme high
Integumentary System 6

temperatures. Common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and

sometimes loss of consciousness or coma. The first degree burns affects only the outer layer of
the skin or epidermis. They can be caused by mild sunburn. The symptoms include red, dry
peeling, and pain for 48 to 72 hours. They lost contact with the hospital so the paramedic had to
be on his own at this point.

So Henry started oral rehydration with an isotonic solution that contained electrolytes and
glucose, and water. Henry can't just use any kind of liquid beverage to hydrate Mark because not
all beverage have the same energy especially for a heat stroke. With a solution with electrolytes
and glucose its better because it will give Mark the energy and hydration he needs. In the
hospital, Mark was telling that he was new to desert areas and he figured that he didnt see the
need to bring extra water or sunblock. This is why Mark felt all the symptoms of heat stroke
because he didnt take any extra bottled water so he became dehydrated quickly especially at a
desert. He waited by the car for awhile and then when the sun started hitting at around 10AM, he
saw a large body of water which he thought was a river, but in reality it was just a mirage. He
realized it when he started walking towards it. He started getting confused and couldn't find his
way back to the highway. Confusion is a common symptom for heat stroke. Heat stroke can
cause your brain or other vital organs to swell. He eventually got really hot and threw away his
shirt and hat. After Mark left the hospital, he saw extensive new melanin formation in his skin.
Later on, he started noticing new moles on his shoulders. The moles grew and changed color and
bled. Dark melanin is the bodys natural sunblock, but its only made after a chain reaction first
occurs to exposure of sunlight. Moles are concentrated clumps of melanocytes, which is why the
look dark in colour. Overexposure to the sun damages DNA skin cells causing melanocytes
dividing out of control. Having lots of moles puts people more at risk to melanoma.
Integumentary System 7

11 Labels on Histology

On the figure up top is the thick skin. The thick skin has a thinner dermis than thin skin. The
epidermis is the outermost layer which provides a waterproof layer and it creates our skin tone.
The stratum corneum also contributes as a barrier and is responsible for the stretchy properties
of the skin. Sweat glands is when sweat cools the surface of the skin and reduced body
temperature. The dermis gives the skin flexibility and strength. The hypodermis is the fat that
insulates and padding of the body. On the bottom of the figure is a zoom in of the epidermis
layers. The stratum corneum is obviously the barrier. The stratum lucidum is a thin, clear
layer of of dead skin cells. The stratum granulosum is a thin layer of cells in the epidermis. The
stratum spinosum is just a layer between the granulosum and basale. The stratum basale is a
continuous layer of cells.
Integumentary System 8

Sweat Gland Density

This lab tested the sweat glands of the hand and arm. Using the iodine, the liquid was
placed on a spot of the skin and then putting a small piece of paper on it and then placing a strip
of tape on the spot with Iodine for 10 minutes. Covering the iodine spot with tape allows that
spot on the skin to absorb the iodine. When the 10 minutes are up you remove the tape and look
at the paper to see the sweat glands which will appear as little black dots on the paper. So
according to this lab the hand had the most sweat glands.
Integumentary System 9

Two Point Discrimination Data

This lab was to test our sensory touch. Using two sharp objects, you must spread them
apart, tap or poke on the skin as you slowly close the sharp objects till it feels like one object, the
measure using a ruler at centimeters so you can see where you are more sensitive at. There are
many spots of the body where its sensitive, especially feeling something sharp or a pain. You
can feel the texture of the object as you poke it on the skin and most likely you will feel a
sensation of a slight pain with the sharp objects. Then after you make a homunculus.
Integumentary System 10

Homunculus Lab

The homunculus can help explain the pattern of motor and sensory symptoms. Due to crossing
over of nerve tracts, the right half gets input from the left side of the body and then vice versa.
The specific amount of space in the brain dedicated to sensing each body part is proportional to
the density of the sensory receptors in the area. So with that being said, you can map the entire
body as it is sensed by the cortex.
Integumentary System 11

Case Study Infographic

In this lab this is Mark from the heart stroke story. He experienced very harsh conditions. As you
can see he doesnt look too good. His pulse te was increasing, his body temperature was high,
his blood pressure was low, his urinary decreased, he lossed liters of water from his system.
Mark was very dehydrated and that is mainly the reason why for all these symptoms. He didnt
take any extra water so he was in pretty bad shape during this. He had 1st degree burns on his
face because he didnt carry any sunblock so with the high temperature he had burns on his face
and back. He also had moles on his shoulders because of the exposure of too much sun which
can cause melanin. The skin has vitamin D but will only appear when exposed in sunlight and
Mark certainly had that exposure while recovering also.
Integumentary System 12

APA Citations
Figure 1, I drew.
Figure 2, I drew.
Figure 3, Homunculus Lab
Figure 4, Homunculus Lab I drew.
Figure 5, Infographic Lab I drew.

Young, Ed. Of Moles and Men How Sunlight and Moles Affect the Risk of Melanoma.Cancer
Research UK - Science Blog, 13 July 2009,
scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2009/07/13/of-moles-and-men-%E2%80%93-how-sunlight-and-m
oles-affect-the-risk-of-melanoma/.

The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (2016, November 06). Sweat gland. Retrieved
September 28, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/science/sweat-gland

Sheir, David, et al. (2013). Holes Human Anatomy & Physiology. Thirteenth Edition. Unit II,
Chapter 6, 180-182. Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. McGraw Hill.
Pages 180-192

Gardner, Esther. May 19, 2010. Touch. New York University School of Medicine, New York,
USA pages 1-6

Evans, David. June 8, 2002. Lost In The Desert!. Natural Sciences. Penn College/PSU.
Williamsport, PA. Pages 1&2

Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2017, from
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heat-stroke-symptoms-and-treatment