INTEGUMEN SYSTEM
GROUP 6
The Skin
• The integument system consists of the skin
(cutaneous membrane) and its accessory organs.
• The skin is composed of three layers of tissue
The outer epidermis (made of stratified
squamous epithelium ), the middle dermis (made
of fibrous connective tissue ), and the inner
subcutaneous layer or hypodermis (made of
adipose tissue and loose connective tissue).
Accessory organs include the hair (hair root and
hair shaft) , hair follicle , pili arrector muscle,
sebaceous gland , sudoriferous gland , nails , and
mammary gland.
Functions of the Integumentary
System
1. protection
a) chemical factors in the skin:
Sebum (or oil) from the sebaceous glands is
slightly acidic, retarding bacterial colonization on
the skin surface.
Sweat from the sudoriferous glands is slightly
hypertonic and can flush off most bacteria on the
skin surface.
Melanin (skin pigment ) from melonocytes avoids
excessive ultraviolet radiation from penetrating
the skin layers .
b) Physical Factors in the Skin:
Stratified squamous epithelium in the epidermis
layer provides a large number of layers of cells,
preventing most bacteria invasion.
Keratinized cells in the stratum corneum layer of
the epidermis provides a physical barrier against
most invasion.
c) biological factor in the skin:
White blood cells such as macrophages destroy
most invaded bacteria and other foreign
substances.
2. Excretion
waste materials such as ammonia , urea , and
excessive salt are eliminated from sweating .
3. Body temperature regulation
Sweating by the sweat glands promotes
evaporation, resulting in a loss of excessive body
heat. Vasoconstriction by arterioles (small arteries
) in the dermis layer provides a smaller surface area
in the blood vessels, resulting in less heat loss .
Vasodilatation by arterioles in the dermis layer
provides a larger surface area in the blood vessels ,
resulting in greater heat loss .
4. Cutaneous sensation
Nerve receptors in the dermis layers detect
sensations such as heat, cold, pain, pressure, and
touch, allowing the body to be aware of these
stimuli.
5. Vitamin D synthesis
Ultraviolet radiation in the sunlight activates a
series of chemical reactions in the epidermis
layer, resulting in the synthesis of vitamin D
from the modification of cholesterol for the
absorption of calcium.
Layer of Skin
1. Epidermis
Being made of stratified squamous epithelium ,
there is no blood vessels to supply nutrients to its
cells.
a) Nutrients from the arterioles in the dermis layer
diffuse upward into the epidermis layer,
especially to the stratum basale and spinosum
layers.
b) Cuboidal cells at the stratum basale (stratum
germinativum) layer receive most of the
nourishment . These cells reproduce rapidly
using mitosis . New daughter cells will be pushed
upward into higher layers , and they become
flattened as they move upward .
Squamous cells moving upward in the epidermis receive less and
less nutrients as diffusion distance increases. By the time they
form stratum corneum , the cells are dead and will be shed off
from the skin .
2. Dermis
a) made of fibrous connective tissue that contains
arterioles for supplying nutrients (i.e. oxygen ,
glucose , water , and ions ) to its structures and to the
epidermis .
b) also contains pili arrector muscles (made of skeletal
muscle, under involuntary control) to wrinkle the skin
and erect the hairs .
c) contains nerves and nerve receptors to detect the
sensations of heat, cold, pressure, touch, and pain .
d) also contains hair follicles to develop the hair .
e) contains sebaceous gland to secrete sebum onto
skin surface, and sudoriferous glands to secrete
sweat.
3. Hypodermis
a) Made of adipose tissue and loose connective
tissue.
b) Collagen and elastic fibers in the loose connective
tissue are continuous with the fibers in the dermis
layer.
c) Adipose tissue serves as a heat insulator against
cold climate and as a fat storage.
d) Loose connective tissue allows the skin to be
bound with underlying muscles.
c) Also contains large blood vessels (arteries and
veins).
Accessory Structures of the Skin
1. Hair
a) produced by epithelial cells at the hair papilla
b) made of keratinized cells .
c) consists two regions: hair root (in the hair
follicle , embedded in the dermis layer), and
hair shaft (protruded through the epidermis to
the outside).
d) Hair pigment (melanin) is produced by
melonocyets in hair papilla .
e) Hair growth is affected by nutrition and
hormones
2. Sebaceous gland
a) Oil gland that is made of
modified cuboidal epithelium.
b) Occurs all over the body
except in the palm and sole.
c) Attached to each hair follicle,
so that sebum can be secreted into the hair root
and diffuse upward .
d) Sebum helps the skin and hair to be waterproof,
and retards bacterial growth on skin surface(due
to its acidity).
3. Sudoriferous gland
a) sweat gland that secretes sweat to promote
evaporation.
b) found all over the body except the lips, nipples,
and external genitalia.
c) referred to as "tubular gland" where it is a long
tubule coiled in the dermis layer , and uses a long
duct to release sweat onto skin surface through a
pore.
4. Nails
a) scale like modification of epithelial cells in
the epidermis.
b) made of keratin.
c) Protect ends of fingers and toes and prevent
over sensitization of the never receptors in
extremities.
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