Lecture 5 The epidermis is composed of keratinized stratified
Integumentary system squamous epithelium. It contains four principal types
of cells:
The Integumentary System
Keratinocytes – 90% of the epidermal
Skin- largest organ of human body.
cells arranged in four or five layers and
Accessory structures of the skin produce the protein keratin.
Melanocytes – 8% of the cells and
Functions of the skin produce the pigment melanin.
Aging and the integumentary system Intraepidermal macrophages
Diseases (Langerhans cells) participate in
immune responses.
SKIN
Tactile epithelial cells – detect touch
The integumentary system is composed of the sensations.
skin, hair, oil and sweat glands, nails, and Epidermis
sensory receptors.
Structurally, the skin consists of 2 main parts: 4 Strata:
1. The superficial, thinner portion, which Thin Skin
is composed of epithelial tissue, is the
epidermis. Stratum basale
2. The deeper, thicker portion is the Stratum spinosum
dermis, made of dense irregular
Stratum granulosum
connective tissue.
(thin) Stratum corneum
Deep to the dermis, but not part of the skin, is
the subcutaneous (hypodermis). 5 Strata:
Thick Skin
Stratum basale
Stratum spinosum
Stratum granulosum
Stratum lucidum
(thick) Stratum corneum
Stratum basale
Deepest layer
Composed of a single row of cuboidal or
columnar keratinocytes
Some cells are stem cells
Keratin protects the deeper layers from injury
Stratum spinosum
Consists of numerous 8-10 layers of
keratinocytes
some cells shrink and pull apart when prepared
for microscopic exam. Thus, they appear thorn-
like spines
Stratum granulosum
3-5 layers of flattened keratinocytes that
undergoing apoptosis
Presence of darkly staining granules of a
protein called keratohyalin
Stratum granulosum
o With membrane-enclosed lamellar
granules – which fuse with the plasma
membrane and release a lipid-rich DERMIS
secretions
The dermis, is the deeper part of the skin and
Water-repellent sealant is composed mainly of connective tissue
containing collagen and elastic fibers.
Stratum lucidum
The superficial (papillary region) part of the
o Present only in the thick skin such as dermis makes up about one-fifth of the
the fingertips, palms, and soles thickness of the total layer and consists of
o Consists of 4-6 layers of flattened clear, areolar connective tissue containing fine
elastic fibers.
dead keratinocytes (contain large
Its surface area is greatly increased by small,
amount of keratin and thickened
fingerlike projections called dermal papillae,
plasma membrane)
touch receptors (Meissner corpuscles) and
Stratum corneum free nerve endings.
o Consists of 25-30 layers of flattened, The deeper part of the dermis
dead keratinocytes (thin) (reticular region), which is attached to
the subcutaneous layer, consists of
o 50 or more layers (thick skin) dense irregular connective tissue
Newly formed cells in the stratum containing bundles of collagen and
basale are slowly pushed to the some coarse elastic fibers.
surface. Adipose cells, hair follicles, nerves, oil
As the cells move from one epidermal glands, and sweat glands are found
layer to the next, they accumulate between the fibers.
more and more keratin, a process Melanin, hemoglobin, and carotene
called keratinization. Eventually the are three pigments that impart a wide variety of
keratinized cells slough off and are colors to skin. The amount of melanin causes the
replaced by underlying cells. skin’s color to vary from pale yellow to reddish-
Dandruff – excessive amount of brown to black.
keratinized cells shed from the skin of
the scalp
extends from the superficial dermis of
the skin to the dermal root sheath
around the side of the hair follicle.
Under physiological or emotional
stress, such as cold or fright,
autonomic nerve endings stimulate the
muscles to contract, which pulls the
hair shafts perpendicular to the skin
surface.
-“goose bumps” or
“gooseflesh” because the skin
around the shaft forms slight
elevations
The color of hair is due to melanin.
Gray hair occurs with a decline in melanin.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURES White hair results from accumulation of air
OF THE SKIN bubbles in the hair shaft.
Accessory structures of the skin that develop Glands – are single or groups of epithelial
from the epidermis of an embryo— hair, cells that secrete a substance.
glands, and nails.
o Sebaceous
Hair and nails protect the body
o Sudoriferous (sweat)
Sweat glands help regulate body
o Ceruminous
temperature
Hairs, or pili, are present on most skin surfaces Sebaceous glands
except the palms, palmar surfaces of the -secrete an oily substance called sebum
fingers, soles, and plantar surfaces.
-keeps hair from drying out
-is a thread of fused, dead, keratinized
epidermal cells that consists of a shaft (most -prevents excessive evaporation of water
superficial), a root (into the dermis) and
-keeps the skin soft, and
follicle.
-inhibits certain bacteria
Associated with hairs are bundles of smooth
muscle called arrector pili and sebaceous Ceruminous glands
glands or oil glands. -present in the outer ear canal is a yellowish
Sebaceous glands are usually connected to hair secretion called cerumen or earwax.
follicles; they are absent in the palms and
soles. Two types of sudoriferous glands:
Apocrine sweat glands – found mainly in the
o produce sebum, which moistens hairs
skin of the axilla (armpit), groin, areolae
and waterproofs the skin.
(pigmented areas around the nipples) of the
Arrector pili breasts, and bearded regions of the face in
adult males.
simple, coiled tubular
glands but have larger
ducts and lumens
Eccrine sweat glands – most prevalent sweat
glands distributed throughout most of the
body, especially in the skin of the forehead,
palms, and soles
simple, coiled tubular
gland
NAILS
3. Cutaneous sensations. These
Nails are hard, dead, keratinized epidermal include tactile sensations (touch,
cells covering the terminal portions of the
pressure, vibration, and tickling),
fingers and toes.
thermal sensations (warmth and
The principal parts of a nail are the nail body, coolness) and pain.
free edge, nail root, lunula, cuticle, and nail
matrix. 4. Excretion and absorption.
The proximal portion of the epithelium deep 5. Synthesis of vitamin
to the nail root is called the nail matrix. Cell D.
division of the matrix cells produces new nails.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN
The 5 major functions of the skin:
AGING AND
1. Body temperature regulation. The THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
skin contributes to the
homeostatic regulation of body
temperature by liberating sweat at
its surface and by adjusting the
flow of blood in the dermis.
2. Protection. Keratin in the skin
protects underlying tissues
from microbes, abrasion, heat,
and chemicals. Lipids released by
lamellar granules inhibit
evaporation of water from
the skin surface.
Most of the age-related changes begin at Callus. An area of hardened and thickened
about age 40 and occur in the proteins in skin that is usually seen in palms and soles
the dermis. and is due to persistent pressure and
friction.
Collagen fibers in the dermis begin to
decrease in number, stiffen, break apart,
and disorganize into a shapeless, matted
tangle.
Elastic fibers lose some of their elasticity,
thicken into clumps, and fray, an effect
that is greatly accelerated in the skin of
smokers. Cold sore. A lesion, usually in an oral
mucous membrane, caused by type 1
Fibroblasts, which produce both collagen herpes simplex virus (HSV) transmitted by
and elastic fibers, decrease in number, the oral or respiratory routes.
result, the skin forms crevices known as
wrinkles.
Burns: The Rule-of-Nines
Medical Terms Comedo. A collection of sebaceous
material and dead cells in the hair follicle
Abrasion. An area where skin has been and excretory duct of the sebaceous (oil)
scraped away. gland. Usually found over the face, chest,
and back, and more commonly during
adolescence. Also called a blackhead.
Contact dermatitis (der-ma-T-I -tis;
Blister. A collection of serous fluid within dermat- = skin; -itis = inflammation of)
the epidermis or between the epidermis Inflammation of the skin characterized by
and dermis, due to short-term but severe redness, itching, and swelling and caused
friction. Bulla refers to a large blister. by exposure of the skin to chemicals that
bring about an allergic reaction, such as
poison ivy toxin. by patches of red, blistering, dry, extremely
itchy skin
Contusion (kon-TOO-shun; contundere = to
bruise) Condition in which tissue deep to
the skin is damaged, but the epidermis is Frostbite. Local destruction of skin and
not broken subcutaneous tissue on exposed surfaces
as a result of extreme cold. In mild cases,
the skin is blue and swollen and there is
slight pain.
Corn. A painful conical thickening of the
stratum corneum of the epidermis found
principally over toe joints and between the
toes, often caused by friction or pressure
Hemangioma (hē-man′-jē-O- -ma; hem- =
blood; -angi- = blood vessel; -oma =tumor)
Localized benign tumor of the skin and
subcutaneous layer that results from an
abnormal increase in the number of blood
vessels
Cyst (SIST = sac containing fluid) A sac with
a distinct connective tissue wall, containing
a fluid or other material.
Hives. R
eddened elevated patches of skin that are
often itchy. Most commonly caused by
infections, physical trauma, medications,
emotional stress, food additives, and
Eczema (EK-ze-ma; ekzeo- = to boil over) certain food allergies. Also called urticaria
An inflammation of the skin characterized (ūr-ti-KAR-ē-a)
o Pubic lice are tiny arthropods that
do not jump; they look like
Papule (PAP-ūl; papula = pimple) A small,
round skin elevation less than 1 cm in
diameter. One example is a pimple.
Keloid (KE--loid; kelis = tumor) An elevated,
irregular darkened area of excess scar
tissue caused by collagen formation during
healing.
Pruritus (proo-RI -tus; pruri- = to itch)
Itching, one of the most common
dermatological disorders.
Keratosis (ker′-a-TO- -sis; kera- = horn)
Formation of a hardened growth of
epidermal tissue, such as solar keratosis, a
premalignant lesion of the sun-exposed Ringworm
skin of the face and hands. o Tinea corporis – body
o Tinea cruris – groin
o Tinea pedis – feet (athlete’s feet)
o Tine unguium – fingers
Laceration (las-er-A- -shun; lacer- = torn)
An irregular tear of the skin.
Wart. Mass produced by uncontrolled
growth of epithelial skin cells; caused by a
papillomavirus.
Lice Contagious arthropods that include
two basic forms.
o Head lice are tiny, jumping
arthropods that suck blood from
the scalp. They lay eggs, called nits,
and their saliva causes itching that
may lead to complications.
