4 Experiment - InTEGUMENTARY System

INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

Prepared by Dr. Zeeshan AHMED (Ph.D., MS, MBA, Pharm.D)

Assistant Professor
Ph.D (University of Paris Saclay, France)
MS (University of Paris Est, France)
MBA (University of Sindh)
Pharm.D (University of Sindh)
Key points
01 Introduction,

02 INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
Introduction
A layer of skin covers the body, and is the major external barrier between the outside world a
nd the body. It has important protective functions, and is constantly renewing itself. After cov
ering this topic you will appreciate how skin renews and repairs itself, and the structure and f
unctions of skin, hair, epithelial glands and nails.
Objectives
By the time you have completed this topic you should know
The names of the three different layers of skin and their principal tissue components.
The structure and function of the epidermis, and of its derivatives - glands, hair and nails.
The components of the dermis and hypodermis.
Some facts about skin
Skin is the largest organ of the body.
It has an area of 2 square meters (22 square feet) in adults, and weighs about 5 kilograms.
The thickness of skin varies from 0.5mm thick on the eyelids to 4.0mm thick on the heels of y
our feet.
Skin is the major barrier between the inside and outside of your body!
Functions of skin
Protection: it protects against UV light, mechanical, thermal and chemical stresses, dehydrati
on and invasion by micro-organisms.
Sensation: skin has receptors that sense touch, pressure, pain and temperature.
Thermoregulation: various features of the skin are involved in regulating temperature of the
body. For example sweat glands, hair, and adipose tissue.
Metabolic functions: subcutaneous adipose tissue is involved in production of vitamin D, and
triglycerides.
Three layers of skin
The epidermis: a thin outer portion, that is the keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium of skin. The epidermis is important for the pro
tective function of skin. The basal layers of this epithelium are folde
d to form dermal papillae. Thin skin contains four types of cellular l
ayers, and thick skin contains five.
The dermis: a thicker inner portion. This is the connective tissue la
yer of skin. It is important for sensation, protection and thermoregul
ation. It contains nerves, the blood supply, fibroblasts, etc, as well a
s sweat glands, which open out onto the surface of the skin, and in s
ome regions, hair. The apical layers of the dermis are folded, to for
m dermal papillae, which are particularly prominent in thick skin.
The hypodermis. This layer is underneath the dermis, and merges This diagram shows the layers found in skin.
There are three main layers: the epidermis
with it. It mainly contains adipose tissue and sweat glands. The adip , dermis and hypodermis. There are also sw
ose tissue has metabolic functions: it is responsible for production o eat glands, and hairs, which have sebaceous
f vitamin D, and triglycerides. glands, and a smooth muscle called the arrect
or pili muscle, associated with them.
Hairs are only found in thin skin, and not in t
he thick skin present on the fingertips, palms
and soles of your feet.
The Dermis and Hypodermis
The dermis is a connective tissue layer, that contains coll
agen and elastin fibres, and fibroblasts, macrophages and
adipocytes, as well as nerves, glands and hair follicles. Th
e dermis is tough, and is the layer used to make leather.
It can be divided into two regions:
1. superficial region - (papillary dermis) the region aro
und the dermal papillae, which makes up around 20
% of the dermis. This layer contains loose connective
tissue, and it has many capillaries. It extends up into t
he epidermis in small projections called dermal papil
lae. This region also contains Meissners corpuscles,
which are touch receptors, as well as free nerve endin
gs (non-myelinated) that are sensitive to temperature.
1. deeper region - (reticular dermis) this is a
layer of dense irregular connective tissue,
which contains collagen and elastin, which
give skin its strength and extensibility. The
collagen bundles are woven into a coarse n
etwork. This layer contains fibroblasts, ma
crophages and fat cells.
The sweat glands are found deep in this region
and in the hypodermis.
Can you see the two regions of the dermis in th
e picture above?
The hypodermis lies under the dermis, and mai
nly contains adipose tissue.
The circulation of skin
The arteries supplying the skin are deep in the hyp
dermis. Branches from the arteries pass upwards to
form a deep and a superficial plexus.
The deep cutaneous plexus is at the dermal/hypod
ermal junction. It supplies the fatty tissue of the hy
podermis, and the deeper parts of the dermis, inclu
ding the capillaries for hair follicles, deep sebaceou
s glands and sweat glands.
The superficial sub-papillary plexus lies just bene
ath the dermal papillae, and supplies the capillaries
in the dermal papillae. The pink color of skin is ma
inly due to the blood seen in venules of this plexus.
There are many arteriovenous anastomoses in the dermis, which can prevent blood from ent
ering the superficial cutaneous plexus. This strategy is used as a response to cold as a way o
f conserving heat. The danger is that if the epidermis loses its blood supply for too long, it w
ill die (frostbite!).
Alternatively, when it is hot, more blood is allowed into the superficial plexus, and the skin
flushes. The blood in the superficial capillaries is cooled by the evaporation of sweat of the
surface of skin.
Layers in the Epidermis

This diagram shows schematically, the four different layers found in the epidermis of most
skin (thin skin).
This epidermis of skin is a keratinized, stratified, squamous epithelium.
Layers in the Epidermis
This epidermis of skin is a keratinized, stratified, squ
amous epithelium.
Cells divide in the basal layer, and move up through th
e layers above, changing their appearance as they move
from one layer to the next. It takes around 2-4 weeks fo
r this to happen. This continuous replacement of cells i
n the epidermal layer of skin is important. The epiderm
al layer of the skin (and digestive tract) are the two tiss
ues that are directly exposed to the outside world, and t
herefore are most vulnerable to its damaging effects. In
both, there is constant proliferation of cells in the botto
m layer (stratum basale) which constantly move up to t
he top where they are lost. This means damaged cells a
re continually shed, and replaced with new cells.
Langherhans cells
These are found in the stratum spinosum layer of the epidermis. They are irregularly shaped de
ndritic cells, without keratin filaments of melanosomes, and they are antigen presenting cells.
They play a role in facilitating skin allergic reactions.
Merkel Cells
These are granular basal epidermal cells, attached to a
free (non-myelinated) nerve ending, which are sensitiv
e to touch (mechanoreceptors). They are mostly found
in thick skin, on the palms of hands and soles of feet.
They are difficult to tell apart from Melanocytes.
Melanocytes
These are only found in the basal layer. They are impo
rtant pigment (melanin) producing cells. They have lo
ng processes which run in the spaces between the pric
kle cells.
Encapsulated Nerve Endings in the Dermis
Paccinian corpuscles
These look like 'onion' bulbs, and are commonl
y found in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.
The afferent nerve ending at the centre is envel
oped by multiple concentric layers of flattened
cells and an external capsule of connective tissu
e. These are pressure sensitive.
Meissners corpuscles
These are highly sensitive mechanoreceptors fo
r touch found on the palmar surface of fingers a
nd plantar service of feet (highly tactile).
There are also Ruffini corpuscles and Krause
end bulbs in the dermis, further types of mecha
noreceptors
Sebaceous glands
Sebaceous glands are branched acinar (spherica
l) glands which make an oily substance called s
ebum. The rounded cells are filled with lipid fil
led vacuoles, and towards the end of the duct, t
he cells degenerate to release their contents into
the duct - HOLOCRINE secretion. This oil coa
ts hair and the surface of thin skin to help keep
it soft, supple and waterproof.
At puberty, the size of the sebaceous glands, an
d their secretory activity increase, in response t
o increasing levels of androgens. If the gland b
ecome blocked, the sebum can be forced out int
o the dermis, where it elicits an inflammatory r
esponse. This can cause acne.
Apocrine Sweat Glands
These are only found in the axillae, breast, a
nd pubic and perineal regions. They are sim
ilar to apocrine sweat glands, but open out o
nto the upper regions of hair follicles, like s
ebaceous glands. They only secrete after pu
berty. They produce a cloudy secretion, whi
ch starts to smell if bacteria react with it. (S
o, you need to wash, frequently!)
HAIR
Hair follicles are tubular invaginations of the epide
rmis, that develop as down growths of the epidermi
s into the dermis. Hair is made up of columns of de
ad keratinized cells.
The hair has three layers:
A central medulla, or core (not seen in fine hairs),
surrounded by a keratinized cortex, and the outer t
hird layer, which is highly keratinized and forms th
e thin hard cuticle on the outside of the hair. These
keratinized layers are made by proliferating cells in
the hair matrix at the base of the hair follicle.
Surrounding the hair, towards the base of the hair follicle is the internal root sheath, which c
onsists of keratinized cells from the hair matrix. The type of keratin here is softer than that of t
he hair, and is the same as that found on the surface of the skin. This layer of cells disintegrate
s where the ducts of the sebaceous gland enters the hair.
Surrounding the internal root sheath is the external root sheat
h. This is a tubular invagination of the epidermis which doesn’t
take part in hair formation. Finally, it is separated from the surro
unding connective tissue by a glassy basement membrane.
At the base of the hair follicle/hair bulb, there is a dermal papil
la, which contains the blood supply for the hair. The hair matrix
, which contains the proliferating cells that generate the hair and
the internal root sheath, is just above the dermal papilla, and sep
arated from it by a basement membrane. Like the basal layer of
the epidermis, the cells in the hair matrix proliferate and move u
pwards, gradually becoming keratinized to produce the hair.
The ducts of the sebaceous glands discharge sebum o
nto the hair.
The arrector pili muscle is a small bundle of smooth
muscle cells associated with the hair follicle. Contracti
ons of this muscle elevate the hair, forming goose bum
ps, to release heat and help sebum to be released from
gland into duct.
Hair colour, like skin colour, depends on the pigment
melanin. However, in hair, there are alternative forms:
pheomelanin (red or yellow) and eumelanins (brown
or black). Melanocytes are found in the hair matrix, an
d the pigment is passed onto the cells in the matrix in t
This is a photo at low magnification of some hairs. See if you can
he same wayas it is passed to keratinocytes in the epid identify the epidermis, Arrector pili muscle, sebaceous gland, inte
rnal and external root sheaths, hair matrix, and hair bulb, connecti
ermis. As the progeny of melanin-containing matrix ce ve tissue sheath, glassy basement membrane and the hard keratin
lls change into hard keratin, they keep their pigment. of the hair.
LAB PERFORMANCE
Organ system: Skin (Epidermis, Dermis & Subcutaneous Fat)
Human Skin with calcification T.S.

Human Skin with hair T.S.
Human Thick Skin T.S
Human Skin T.S.
Human Scalp T.S.
Skin Models
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INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

Prepared by Dr. Zeeshan AHMED (Ph.D., MS, MBA, Pharm.D)

Layers in the Epidermis

Human Skin with calcification T.S.

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