The skin is the largest organ of the body, weighing approximately 16% of total body weight. It acts as a protective barrier against damage, UV light, and bacteria. The skin has three layers - epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis contains keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. The dermis lies underneath and contains collagen, fibers, blood vessels, and nerves. Skin has important functions like temperature regulation, protection, sensation, and vitamin D synthesis.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, weighing approximately 16% of total body weight. It acts as a protective barrier against damage, UV light, and bacteria. The skin has three layers - epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis contains keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. The dermis lies underneath and contains collagen, fibers, blood vessels, and nerves. Skin has important functions like temperature regulation, protection, sensation, and vitamin D synthesis.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, weighing approximately 16% of total body weight. It acts as a protective barrier against damage, UV light, and bacteria. The skin has three layers - epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis contains keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. The dermis lies underneath and contains collagen, fibers, blood vessels, and nerves. Skin has important functions like temperature regulation, protection, sensation, and vitamin D synthesis.
• Skin is the largest organ of the body in surface area
and weight. - Physical barrier that protects underlying tissues from injury, UV light and bacterial invasion. - Mechanical barrier. One Square Centimeter of Skin contains: • 3 million cells • Ten hairs . • One yard of blood vessels . • Four yards of nerves . • 7 0 0 sweat glands . • 2 0 0 nerve endings to record pain • 3 0 0 0 sensory c ells at the end of nerve fibers Skin Surface and Thickness • Its area is about 2 square meters (22 square feet) and weighs 4.5-5kg (10-11 lb), about 16% of body weight. • It is 0.5 – 4 mm thick, thinnest on the eyelids, thickest on the heels; the average thickness is 1 – 2 mm. • It consists 7% of the body weight. • Epidermis replaced every 25-45 days . Types of Skin • There are two major types of skin: • Thin (hairy) skin: covers all body regions except the palms, palmar surfaces of digits, and soles. • Thick (hairless) skin: The rest of the skin surface. Layers of the Skin • Consists of three layers: • 1- Epidermis: Consists of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium • Has melanocytes producing melanin to protect the epithelial cells fro sun radiation • 2- Dermis: consists of collagenous connective tissue. • 3- Subcutaneous: Consists of adipose connective tissue Cells in the Epidermis - Keratinocytes: produce keratin - Melanocytes: produce melanin. Skin color is attributed to melanin, hemoglobin and carotene.
- Merkel cells: make contact with a sensory neuron
ending called a Merkel disc.
- Langerhans’ cells: Epidermal
dendritic cells (macrophages)
Sublayers of the Epidermis (n=5) The Dermis Consists of flexible and strong connective tissue. Fibers: (elastic, reticular and collagen fibers) Cells: Fibroblasts Macrophages (WBC), Mast cells (produce histamine). Others: nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels - oil glands and sweat glands originate Consists of two layers: papillary and reticular layers. Skin Functions • Waterproofs • Cushions • Protects deeper tissue Excretes salts & urea: sweat removes water and small amounts of salt, uric acid and ammonia from the body surface. • Pain, pressure sensation • Regulates body temperature: sweat is evaporated from the skin surface to cool it down. • Synthesis of Vitamin D Hair Anatomy - Is composed of dead columns of dead keratinized cells and is produced by the hair bulb. The root is enclosed in a sheath, the hair follicle. - Shaft: is the superficial portion of hair - Root: below the surface in the dermis Arrector pili: is smooth muscle located in the dermis and is attached to the side of the hair shaft. - Fright, cold and emotions will contract muscle and pull hair in vertical position. Skin Appendages (Glands, Hair, Nails) Skin Glands • a) Sebaceous glands (oil glands): produce an oily product (sebum), usually ducted into a hair follicle. • Sebum keeps the skin and hair soft and contains bacteria-killing chemicals. • b) Sweat (sudoriferous) glands: produce sweat. • c) Ceruminous glands: الغدد الصمالخيةsecrete earwax. • d) Mammary glands: secrete milk. Types Sweat Glands • There are two types sweat glands :
• (a) Eccrine sweat glands: found all over the body.
They produce primarily water plus some salts.
• (b) Apocrine sweat glands are largely confined to
the axillary and genital areas. Their secretion contains fatty acids and protein. Nail Anatomy Nails: are hornlike derivatives of the epidermis. Like hair, nails are primarily dead keratinized cells.
- Produced by cells in the epidermis
- Nail plate (body): visible portion
- Nail root: The invisible part of the nail
- Lunula: half moon crescent shaped
white portion under cuticle
- Nail bed: located under nail plate
Hypodermis - Called subcutaneous, Sub-Q or superficial fascia - Anchors skin to underlying structures. - Contains adipose tissue and blood vessels - Common site for injection Skin Color • Hair color is determined by the amount and type of melanin. • A benign localized overgrowth of melanocytes is a nevus or mole. • Albinism is an inherited inability to produce melanin - vitiligo is a condition in which there is a partial or complete loss of melanocytes from patches of skin. • Carotene - yellow-orange pigment (found in the stratum corneum, dermis, and subcutaneous layer). • Hemoglobin - red color (located in erythrocytes Effect of Aging on the Skin • Wrinkling • Decrease of skin’s immune responsiveness • Dehydration and cracking of the skin • Decreased sweat production • Decreased numbers of functional melanocytes resulting in gray hair and atypical skin pigmentation • Loss of subcutaneous fat. • Increased susceptibility to pathological conditions • Growth of hair and nails decreases; nails may also become more brittle with age.