Caden Harris

10-18-16
Pd.5
Integumentary System Lab Report
The Integumentary system is an organ that consist of the skin, its derivatives (sweat and oil
glands), nails and hair. The basic function of the skin is protection. The skin consists of the
epidermis, hypodermis, and dermis. The epithelial tissue is tightly packed and form a continuous
spaces. It is a sheet of cells that covers a body surface or lines a body cavity. The Epithelial
Tissue includes Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Corneum, Stratum Basale, Stratum Lucidum, Hair
Follicle, Dermal Papilla, Basement Membrane, Sebaceous Gland, Dermis. See Figure 1. The
skin is only a few millimeters thick yet is by far the largest organ in the body. Skin forms the
bodys outer covering and forms a barrier to protect the body from chemicals, disease, UV light,
and physical damage.
The integumentary system keeps body temperature within limits even when the
environment temperature differs, this is thermoregulation. The skins immense blood supply
helps regulate temperature. The skin help regulate the body temperature with its blood supply.
The body is covered mostly by hairy skin, which is typically insulated from the environment.
The average person as a baseline temperature between 98F and 100F. See Figure 3a-c.
Humidity affects thermoregulation by limiting sweat evaporation and thus heat loss. See Figure
2. Sweat glands are distributed over most of the body surface. Sweat glands help our bodys
cool off. Eccrine sweat glands are smaller sweat glands, they are coiled tubular glands that
discharge their secretions directly onto the surface of the skin.
The sensory receptors in the skin provide information to the branin about the size and
shape of objects held in the hand. These receptors allow us to perceive whether objects appear
hard or soft, smooth or rough in texture, heavy or light in weight, hot, cold, or neutral in
temperature and where it causes pain or pleasure. When the body is contacted by an external
stimulus, its surface is indented or stretched because the skin is flexible rather than rigid. The
mechanical deformation is detected by receptors that signal where contact is made, the amount of
force that is exerted and the speed of motion against the surface. Contact is experienced as a
light touch or pressure, or even pain, depending on how much force is exerted. When the
stimulus moves on the skin, touch is perceived as stroking, tapping, or vibration. Touch can
show how many touch receptors are found on each part of the body. See Figure 4. The
homunculus provides a distorted image of the body surface. Each part of the body is represented
in the brain in proportion to its relative importance to sensory perception, as measured by its
innervation density rather than its surface area. See Figure 5. The homunculus exaggerates the
hand, foot, and mouth, and compresses more proximal body parts.
Melanoma is a cancer of the skin in which melanocytes become cancerous. Melanoma
occurs more frequently in white people. Overexposure to sunlight can cause skin changes which
can lead to melanoma. Half of all melanomas are thought to arise in a non-cancerous mole.

Moles are very common and normally change only slightly over time, however in melanoma
there may be a more rapid increase in size. For more information see Figure 6.

Figure 1. Epithelial Tissue. The Epithelial Tissue of muscle of a mammal.

Figure 2. Eccrine Sweat Gland Density. Apply Iodine to the skin. Leave Paper on for 5
minutes. After you take the paper off count the dots on the 1cm x 1cm square.

Figure 3a. Skin Temperature Data. Skin Temperature of the Palm with the average baseline
temperature, the time when it is the coldest, and after 2 minutes of ice. This information has data
from the individual and the group.

Figure 3b. Skin Temperature Data. Skin Temperature of the Forearm with the average baseline
temperature, the time when it is the coldest, and after 2 minutes of ice. This information has data
from the individual and the group.

Figure 3c. Skin Temperature Data. Skin Temperature of the Neck with the average baseline
temperature, the time when it is the coldest, and after 2 minutes of ice. This information has data
from the individual and the group.

Figure 4. Two Point Discrimination. Six touch receptors, three of the smallest and three of the
largest.

Figure 5. Homunculus Drawing. The Homunculus was drawn to represent the data collected.
The large area of the body means it has more receptors, while the smaller area have fewer.

Figure 6. Case Study Infographic. Information over Melanoma. Contains images of Melanoma,
detecting Melanoma, Skin exposure to the sun, and charts and graphs.

APA Citations
Romanovsky, A. A. (2014). Skin temperature: Its role in thermoregulation. Retrieved October
18, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4159593/
Sweat (Sudoriferous) Glands - Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2016,
from
https://www.boundless.com/physiology/textbooks/boundless-anatomy-and-physiology-textbook/
integumentary-system-5/accessory-structures-of-the-skin-65/sweat-sudoriferous-glands-397-449
7/
The Integumentary System (Skin) | Medical Terminology for Cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved October
18, 2016, from http://www.cancerindex.org/medterm/medtm5.htm
Integumentary System. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2016, from
http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/integumentary
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