Department of Biological Sciences

The Integumentary
System

BIO261
Anatomy and Physiology LAB
Ghenwa Nasreddine, MD
 Integumentary - Structure
• Integument: skin
• Integumentary system: skin and appendages (hair, nails, and glands)

1. Covers whole body

Skin
surface
2. It consists of:
• Skin Sebum

• Hair Follicle

Sebaceous
• Nails gland

• Sweat glands
• Sebaceous glands (a small gland in the skin which secretes a
lubricating oily matter (sebum) into the hair follicles to lubricate
the skin and hair
• Nervous tissue
 What are the Major Characteristics of
the Skin?
• Waterproof

• Stretchable

• Washable

• Automatically repairs small cuts, rips and burns

• Guaranteed to last a lifetime

• Flexible yet tough

 What are the Three Major Layers
of the Skin?
• Epidermis (epi-upon)
• Composed of epithelial tissue (stratified squamous)
• Non-vascularized

• Dermis – underlies the epidermis

• Tough layer composed of fibrous connective tissue
• Good supply of blood

• Hypodermis (not technically part of the skin)

• Made of adipose and areolar tissue
• Stores fat, anchors skin, protects against blows
 Epithelium
• Epithelium is one of the four basic types of animal tissue. The other three
types are connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue

• Epithelial tissues line the cavities and surfaces of blood vessels and organs
throughout the body

• All glands are made up of epithelial cells

• Functions of epithelial cells include secretion, selective absorption,

protection, transcellular transport, and sensing

• Epithelial layers contain no blood vessels, so they must receive

nourishment via diffusion of substances from the underlying connective
tissue, through the basement membrane (they diffuse out of the vessels in
the dermis and into the epidermis)
dermis
epidermis
Epidermis

Dermis
Basement membrane
Epidermis

Dermis

Hypodermis
 What are the Different Types of
Cells in the Epidermis?
❖Keratinocytes
• 90% of epidermis cells, most abundant cells
• Produce a fibrous protein called keratin

• Protects skin (physically and mechanically)

• Produce granules which secrete lipid rich product

(waterproof)

• Produce antibiotics/enzymes to detoxify harmful

chemicals
• Are formed in the lowest levels (basal layer) of the epidermis

• Undergoes almost continuous mitosis

• Pushed upward by the production of new cells beneath them.

• Become dead and scale-like

• Millions rub off everyday

 ❖Melanocytes

• Synthesizes the pigment melanin

• Protects skin from ultraviolet light

→ Keratinocytes store melanin in membrane- melanocyte

bound compartments surrounding the nucleus to
protect their DNA from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) Melanin in
damage keratinocytes
 ❖Langerhan’s cells Langerhans’
cell
• Star-shaped cells

• Formed in bone marrow and then move to the skin

• Immune system cells (members of the dendritic

cell (DC) / macrophage family)

• Take up pathogen by receptor mediated endocytosis

• Travel to nearby lymph node to initiate immune

response
 ❖Merkel cells

• Least abundant

• Has a spiked appearance

• Found in deepest layer of the epidermis connected to nerve cells

from dermis

• Function as sensory receptors for touch

• When compressed, release chemical that stimulates sensory nerve

endings (disc-like sensory nerve endings)
 What are the Layers of
the Epidermis?
OLD

YOUNG

Use this mnemonic to remember: Basically speaking, grandpa loves corn

 What are the Layers of
the Epidermis?
❖ Stratum basale:
single row of cells attached to basement
membrane (dermis) contains stem cells
(young cells) that divide to form keratinocytes.

As new cells are formed, old pushed to surface

in the process of keratinization, producing
tough dead cells in the superficial layer.

❖ Stratum spinosum:
intermediate layer, contain spiny shaped
keratinocytes.
❖ Stratum granulosum:
rich in granulated cells, 3-5 rows of
flattened keratinocytes that are beginning
to die.
No dividing cells in this layer or in more
superficial layers.

❖ Stratum lucidum (clear):

3-5 rows of flat dead keratinocytes. Only in
palms and soles.

❖ Stratum corneum:
outermost layer 20-30 cells thick of dead
keratinized cells. Tough , water-repellent.
Continually slough off and are replaced by
cells in adjacent layer.
What are the Characteristics of the Dermis?
• Made up of connective tissue (collagen, elastic fibers, and extrafibrillar matrix)

• Richly supplied with blood vessels and lymph vessels

• Has hair follicles, oil and sweat glands and sensory receptors

• Ridges formed from the papillary layer can form finger prints

• It also contains mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and thermoreceptors that
provide the sense of heat
• Strong flexible connective tissue

• Cells: fibroblasts, macrophages &mast cells (WBC)

• Fiber type: collagen, elastic, reticular

• Rich in nerves and vessels (critical in temperature regulation)

• Two layers:
1. Papillary region: aerolar connective tissue (loosely packed),
includes dermal papillae
2. Reticular (net like ) region: network of collagen and reticular
fibers
 ➢ Reticular layer of the dermis

• Lies under the papillary layer which contains loose connective

tissue (papillae) and blood vessels

• Reticular layer is filled with dense irregular fibrous connective

tissue
• thick bundles of collagen fibers (give the skin strength)
• Less dense regions are called lines of cleavage or tension lines;
surgeons use these to make incisions because they heal quicker.
 Hypodermis (“below the skin”)
• Aka superficial fascia or subcutaneous (subQ) layer
contains lamellar (Pacinian) corpuscles
(mechanoreceptors found in the skin)

• Consists of both areolar and adipose connective

tissues

• Anchors skin to underlying structures (mostly muscle)

• Allows skin to slide relatively freely

• Stores fat:
• Insulator: fat is a poor conductor of heat prevents
heat loss

• Thickens with weight gain:

• Accumulates first in the thighs and breasts of
females
• In males accumulates in the anterior abdomen
(beer belly)
 What causes the color of skin?
• Melanin- protein pigment (natural sunscreen)
• Can range in color from yellow to reddish-brown to black

• Everyone has the same number of melanocytes but make

varying amounts of melanin leading to differences in skin color

• Increased melanin production can be caused by sunlight

• Carotene-yellow to orange pigment found in carrots

• Most commonly found in the palms or soles. Most intense when
large amounts of carotene-rich foods are eaten

• Hemoglobin- Red blood gives a pinkish hue to fair skin

 What are the Major Appendages
of the Skin?

• Sweat glands (sudoriferous glands)

• Sebaceous (oil) glands

• Hairs

• Nails
 Sudoriferous and Sebaceous Glands

• Sudori: sweat, ferous: bearing= sweat glands that secrete watery

substance important in excretion and body temperature regulation

• Entire skin surface except nipples and part of external genitalia

• Prevent overheating

• Mainly in humans, in response to heat and stress

 ➢ SEBACEOUS (OIL) GLANDS:
• The sebaceous glands are found nearly all over the skin, except for the palms of
the hand and the soles of the feet.

• Sebum is the product of sebaceous glands.

• It is a mixture of oily substances and fragmented cells that acts as a lubricant to

keep the skin soft and moist (a natural skin cream) and keeps the hair from
becoming brittle.

• Blackheads are accumulations of dried sebum, bacteria, and melanin from

epithelial cells in the oil duct.

• Acne is an active infection of the sebaceous glands.

 ➢ SWEAT (SUDORIFEROUS) GLANDS:

• These exocrine glands are widely distributed all over the skin.

• Outlets for the glands are epithelial openings called pores.

• We will study 2 types of glands:

• Eccrine glands → distributed all over the body
• Apocrine glands → predominantly found in the axillary (underarm
or armpit) and genital areas
➢Eccrine glands: also called merocrine sweat glands, these glands are
distributed all over the body.
➢They produce clear perspiration consisting primarily of water, salts (mostly
NaCl) and urea.
➢important part of the body’s heat-regulating apparatus.
➢They secrete perspiration when the external temperature or the body
temperature is high.
➢ When this water-based substance evaporates, it carries excess body heat
with it.
➢Thus, evaporation of greater amounts of perspiration provides an efficient
means of dissipating body heat to maintain body temperature homeostasis.

➢Apocrine glands: found predominantly in the axillary and genital areas

➢these glands secrete a milky protein-and fat-rich substance (also containing
water, salts, and urea) that is an excellent nutrient medium for the
microorganisms typically found on the skin
Sweating cools the body through evaporative cooling, a process that involves
the following steps:
1.Sweat Production: Sweat glands in the skin produce sweat, a liquid primarily
composed of water, salts, and small amounts of other substances, and release it
onto the skin's surface.
2.Heat Absorption: The sweat absorbs heat from the body, as it requires energy
to change from a liquid to a gas. This energy comes in the form of heat from
your skin.
3.Evaporation: When the sweat evaporates into the air, it takes the absorbed
heat with it. This phase change (liquid to vapor) removes heat from the skin.
4.Cooling Effect: As heat leaves the body, the skin temperature decreases,
cooling the blood in the capillaries near the skin's surface. This cooled blood
circulates through the body, reducing overall body temperature.
 Why is Hair Useful?

• Senses insects that land on the skin

• Hair on the head protects the head from a blow,

sunlight and heat loss.

• Eyelashes shield the eye

• Nose hairs filter the air

 What are Hairs?
• Made from hair follicles

• Made of dead keratinized skin cells

• Two parts shaft and root

• Shaft has 3 layers of cells

• Medulla(central core)
• Cortex (bulky layer)
• Cuticle (heavily keratinized; protects hair)
 Transverse Section of Hair Follicle

Why do humans have

arrector pili muscles?
→ Goose bumps
• Contraction of arrector pili muscle moves the hair follicle
from its angle to perpendicular with skin surface,
elevating the skin surrounding the hair shaft and causing
goose bumps

• Contraction in response to stress

 Nails
• Found in distal ends of digits

• Assist in grabbing and manipulating objects

• Protect digits
1.Nail body: visible part of nail
2.Free edge: extend beyond digit
3.Root: within skin fold at proximal end of nail body
 What are the Parts of the Nails?

• A nail is a scalelike modification of the epidermis

• Made of tightly compressed keratinized cells

• Useful tools to pick up small objects or scratch an itch

• Nail matrix is the region responsible for nail growth

• Lunula (little moon) crescent-shaped area of the nail body distal

to nail root

• Cuticle (eponychium, above nail) thick ended epithelial tissue

along proximal border of nail body

• Hyponychium (below) or nail bed, deep to free edge and attach

nail to fingertip
• As the matrix produces the nail cells, they become heavily
keratinized and die.

• Thus nails, like hairs, are mostly nonliving material

 What are the Primary Functions of the
Integumentary System?

❖ Protects the entire body from

• mechanical damage (bumps and cuts),
• chemical damage (acids),
• thermal damage (heat), and
• bacterial invasion (by virtue of its acid mantle = sebum
mixed with sweat)
❖ Thermoregulation- skin contains sweat glands that secrete watery fluid,
that when evaporated, cools the body + vasodilation (see last slide).

❖ Sensation- Skin contains sensory receptors that detect cold, touch, and
pain.

❖ Vitamin D synthesis- cholesterol in the skin is bombarded by sunlight and

converted to vitamin D (calcium cannot be absorbed from digestive tract)

❖ Blood reservoir- blood will be moved from skin to muscles during

strenuous activity

❖ Excretion- Sweating is an important outlet for wastes such as salt and

nitrogen containing compounds (urine).
Heat Exchange in the Skin