Chapter 2

The Integumentary System

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to
- Describe skin of the human body
- Discuss glands of the skin
- Explain the structure and function of hair
- Discuss about nails
Integumentary System
 The body’s covering
 Includes: skin, nails, and hairs
 Skin: cutaneous membrane
 The skin (integument), is the largest organ of
the body covering over 7600 cm2 (3000 in2)
Structure
 Two main parts
 Epidermis - surface epithelial layer
 Dermis - deeper connective tissue layer
 Subcutaneous (subQ) layer or hypodermis
lies deep to dermis; is not part of the skin
Integumentary System
Epidermis
 Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
 Cell types (4):
 Keratinocytes
 Melanocytes
 Langerhans cells
 Merkel cells
Epidermal Cells
 Keratinocytes
 90% of epidermal cells
 4-5 layers
 Produce keratin
 Protects skin
 Waterproofs skin
Epidermal Cells
 Melanocytes
 Produce melanin that gives color to skin, hairs
 Transfer pigment to keratinocytes
 Make up 8% of epidermal cells
Epidermal Cells
 Langerhans cells
 Immune response

 Merkel cells
 Sense of touch
 Consist of tactile disc and neuron for touch sensation
Epidermal Layers
 Four Layers (strata)
 Stratum basale
 Includes stem cells; new cells arise here
 Stratum spinosum: 8-10 cell layer
 Cells beginning to look flattened
 Stratum granulosum makes keratin
 Losing cell organelles and nuclei
 Have waterproofing lipid
 Stratum corneum: flattened dead cells
 Cells here consist mostly of keratin.
 Cells here are shed and replaced from below.
Layers of the Epidermis
Dermis
 The dermis has several important
characteristics:
 is composed of connective tissue containing
collagen and elastic fibers
 contains two layers
 the outer papillary region consists of areolar
connective tissue containing thin collagen and
elastic fibers, dermal papillae (including
capillary loops), corpuscles of touch and
free nerve endings
Dermis

 The deeper reticular region consists of

dense irregular connective tissue containing
collagen and elastic fibers adipose cells, hair
follicles, nerves, sebaceous (oil) glands, and
sudoriferous (sweat) glands
 Striae or stretch marks can appear if the
skin is stretched too much
Dermis
 Lines of cleavage - “tension lines” in the skin
indicate the predominant direction of
underlying collagen fibers
 Epidermal ridges reflect contours of the
underlying dermal papillae and form the basis
for fingerprints (and footprints); their
function is to increase firmness of grip by
increasing friction.
 Dermatoglyphics - the study of the pattern
of epidermal ridges
Copyright 2010, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Skin Color
Normal skin color is caused by the expression of a combination of i)
melanin, ii) carotene & iii) hemoglobin.
Melanin – brown-black pigment produced in the melanocytes of the
stratum basale
All races have virtually same # of melanocytes, but the amount of
melanin produced + degree of granular aggregation of the melanin
determine whether an individual’s skin color is black, brown, tan or
white
Melanin – protective device against UV damage
Gradual exposure to sunlight promotes the increased production of
melanin within the melanocytes – tanning
Albino – normal melanocytes but lacks the enzyme tyrosinase
(tyrosine melanin)
Vitiligo – lacks of melanocytes in localized area – white spot
Albino vitiligo
Coloration of the Skin

Carotene – yellowish pigment found in

epidermal cells and fatty parts of the dermis
Carotene is abundant is the skin of Asians +
melanin – yellow-tan skin
Hemoglobin – not a pigment, oxygen-binding
pigment found in RBC
Oxygenated blood flowing through the dermis
gives the skin its pinkish tones
Accessory Structures
 Hair
 Skin glands
 Nails
Hair
 Found on most skin surfaces
 Not on palmar surfaces of hand and fingers or plantar
surfaces of feet
 Made of fused keratinized cells
 Consists of shaft and root
 Surrounded by hair follicle
 Base is bulb which includes growing matrix producing
cells
 Nerves in hair root plexuses
 Muscle that pulls on hair: arrector pili
 Causes hair to stand on end
Hair
Humans have three distinct
kinds of hair
Lanugo is a fine, silky fetal hair that appears during
the last trimester of development. Not evident on a
baby at birth unless it has been born prematurely.
Angora hair grows continuously in length, as on the
scalp of males and females and on the face of
males.
Definitive hair grows to a certain length and then
ceases to grow. It is the most common type of hair.
Eg. eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic & axillary hair.
Glands
 Sebaceous gland: secrete oily sebum
 Connected to hair follicles; keeps hair from drying
out
 Sudoriferous (sweat) gland
 Eccrine sweat gland
 Wide distribution – thermoregulation
 Apocrine sweat gland
 Axilla, groin, areolae, beard
 Contain other cell material
 Ceruminous (wax) gland
 Wax combines with sebum to produce earwax
Nails
 Plates of packed hard
dead keratinized cells
 Nail body: major visible
portion
 Free edge: part
extending past finger or
toe
 Root: cells deep to here
(in nail matrix) form new
nail cells
Nails
Functions of Skin
 Temperature regulation
 Protection
 Sensory reception
 Excretion and absorption: small amounts
 Vitamin D synthesis
 Thermoregulation
Body temperature tends to increase as a result of exercise,
fever, or an increase in environmental temperature.
Homeostasis is maintained by the loss of excess heat.
The blood vessels (arterioles) in the dermis dilate and allow
more blood to flow through the skin, thus transferring heat
from deeper tissues to the skin.
To counteract environmental heat gain or to get rid of excess
heat produced by the body, sweat is produced.
The sweat spreads over the surface of the skin, and as it
evaporates, heat is lost from the body.
 Thermoregulation
If body temperature drops below normal, heat can be
conserved by a decrease in the diameter of dermal blood
vessels, thus reducing blood flow to the skin.
With less warm blood flowing through the skin, however, the
skin temperature decreases.
If the skin temperature drops below approximately 15
degrees Celsius, blood vessels constrict, which helps to
prevent tissue damage from the cold.
Contraction of the arrector pili muscles causes hair to stand
on end, but with the sparse amount of hair covering the
body, this does not significantly reduce heat loss in
humans.
Hair on the head, however, is an effective insulator.
Aging
 Adolescence: can develop acne
 Most effects in dermis, with visible signs
of aging by about age 40. These
include:
 Loss of collagen fibers
 Loss of elasticity
 Loss of immune responses
 Decreased melanocyte functions:
 gray hair, skin blotches
 Thinning of skin and hairs
 Anti-aging treatments
 Conditions of the skin & associated structures
indicating nutritional deficiencies or body
dysfunctions
Condition Deficiency Comments
General dermatitis Zinc Redness & itching

Scrotal or vulva Riboflavin Inflammation in genital region

dermatitis
Hyperpigmentation B12, folic acid, or Dark pigmentation on backs of hands
starvation & feet
Dry, stiff, brittle hair Protein, kcal, & other Usually occurs in young children or
nutrients infants
Follicular Vit A, unsaturated fatty Rough skin due to keratotic plugs from
hyperkeratosis acids hair follicles
Pellagrous dermatitis Niacin & tryptophan Lesions on areas exposed to sun
Thickened skin at Niacin Noted at belt area at the hips
pressure point
Spoon nails Iron Thin nails that are concave of spoon-
shaped
Dry skin H20 or thyroid hormone Dehydration, hypothyroidism, rough
skin
Oily skin (acne) Hyperactivity of sebaceous glands
Spoon
nail
Layers of the skin: Epidermis
• Spot the difference!
Layers of the skin: Epidermis
4 weeks
Layers of the skin: Epidermis
Layers of the skin: Epidermis
Layers of the skin: Epidermis

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