HUMAN HISTOLOGY (LECTURE)

LESSON 9: INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

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2nd SEMESTER I S.Y. 2021-2022
TRANCRIBED BY: JEAN HERSHEY REYES

Skin
Epidermis (Cell Types)

o Skin- caft, protective and external covering of the body Keratinocytes

o Hair o produce keratin – waterproofing protein
o Nails o Originate in deeper layers & get pushed to surface –
o Associated Structures (vessels, nerves, glands) becomes keratin filled & dies
o Connected to each other by desmosomes & tight
Skin (cutaneous membrane) junctions
o Cell production & keratinization are accelerated in
 Main layers – superficial to deep areas of friction
o Callus – thickened skin
o Epidermis- superficial layer; epithelial coat o Hard to identify in H&E (clear cells)
o Dermis- made up of connective tissue (innermost o Source: Amino acid thyroxin
layer)
o Hypodermis – not always considered part of skin
Melanocytes
Functions of Skin o Produce melanin which accumulates on superficial
side of nucleus
 Protection- prevent harmful substances from entering into the o Prevents DNA mutation from the UV radiation
body o UV increases melanin production
 Sensation- huge sense organs (receptive to touch, pain, o Same number in everyone, but different amount of
pressure and temperature) pigment produced
 Excretion- waste materials o Accumulation of melanin results in freckles and moles
 Vitamin D production – needed to absorb calcium Immunity
o Comprise 7-10% of the cells present in the skin
 Body temperature homeostasis- human defense
o Bound to basal lamina by hemidesmosomes
o Melanosomes- membrane bound granules where
melanin is produced

Epidermis (Skin Color)

Types of pigments present

o Melanin – brown, black pigment

o Carotene
 Orange-yellow pigment from some vegetables
 Vitamin A precurser – vitamin A forms retinal
which is needed for sight
 Accumulates in adipose and stratum corneum
cells
 Derived from the diet (intercellular substance)
o Hemoglobin
 Red, oxygen-carrying pigment in erythrocytes
 More obviously detected in fair skin

Layers of the Skin

Langerhans Cells

 Antigen-presenting cells
Epidermis
 Present also in other non-keratinized stratified squamous
epithelia ( oral cavity, esophagus and vagina)
 Outer layer; most abundant
 Most numerous in stratum spinosum
 Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
 Comprise 3-8% of the cell population present in the epidermis
 Avascular (hardened by keratin)
 Contain Birbeck or vermiform granules (dendritic nature)
 Renews itself ~ every 20-30 days (keratinocytes)- principal
cell; ovoidal form
Merkel Cells
 Made up of epithelial tissue
 85-95% of the cell population
 Most numerous in palms and soles

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 Bound to keratinocytes by desmosomes
 Disc-shaped cells with short cytoplasmic processes Stratum lucidum
 H&E seen as clear cells; found in epidermis; least abundant
 Merkel disc- Merkel cell +axon termination o Only found in thicker epidermis – palms, soles, callus
o sensory receptor that responds to pressure or touch o Completely keratinized (and dead!)
o contains 4-6 layers of closely packed, clear cells that
contain gel-like substance eleiden
o flat, dead, anucleated keratinocytes
Types of Skin o Light staining translucent, discontinuous layers and
superficial to stratum granulosum.
o Keratinocytes: thick bounded
Thick Skin

 Covers palms and soles Stratum corneum

 Dermal papillae are longer
 Contains numerous sweat glands
o Outermost layer
 Longer than thin skin
o Also completely keratinized
 Lack of hair follicles
 Stratum lucidum o 15-20 rows of flat Dead cells
o Tough, waterproofing protection
Thin Skin o Most superficial layer; keratin filaments

 Covers the whole body except palms and soles Individual cells are difficult to observe because
 Stratum basale similar to thick skin but thinner corneum layer 1) nuclei can no longer be identified,
and s. spinosum 2) the cells are very flat and
 Stratum granulosum and lucidum are not present
3) The space between the cells has been filled with lipids,
 Wider than thick skin
which cement the cells together into a continuous
membrane.
5 strata of the Epidermis

From DEEP to SUPERFICIAL

Stratum basale

o highly mitotic (produces new skin layer)

o ~ 25% melanocytes
o Deepest layer of the epidermis (closest to the dermis).
o Found close to the dermal blood supply.
o consists of a single layer of columnar or cuboidal cells
 Which rest on the basement membrane.
o Basal cells are stem cells of the epidermis.
 Their mitotic activity replenishes the cells in
more superficial layers as these are eventually
shed from the epidermis.
o Keratinocytes: large nucleus and basophilic cytoplasm
Dermis (Corium)

Stratum spinosum  Deeper layer of skin

 Contains hair follicles, glands, nerves, vessels
o Slightly mitotic  All four tissue types present
o Contains Langerhans’s macrophages  Mainly strong, flexible CT - Two layers
 Anchor to the underline tissues by loose connective tissue
o Several layers of many sided cells (looks spiny)
(hypodermis)
o Keratinocytes: bounded of desmosomes; limited
 Thicker than epidermis
capacity to mitosis
 Appendages are located

Papillary Layer
Stratum granulosum

o Also contains Langerhans cell  Contains Areolar loose CT; outer layer
 Dermal papillae- counterpart
o Made up of 3-5 layers of flattened keratinocytes
o Indent into epidermis
o contains keratohyaline granules (helps form keratin)
o forms fingerprints
o Contains lamellar granules; barriers to/from the body
o Important for grip
o Incapable of mitotic division o Contains blood vessels
o Keratinocytes: dead cells o Meissner’s Corpuscles – nerve (touch) receptors

 Most superficial

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 3) Encapsulated nerve endings
Reticular Layer o Ruffini corpuscles =deep pressure and stretch;
located in reticular layer of hypodermis
 Dense irregular CT o End bulbs of Krause = touch and pressure; located in
 contains blood vessels, papillary layer
nerves, glands, adipose o Pacinian corpuscles vibration, stretch, pressure;
o Missner’s corpuscles = touch
 Collagen – prevents
overstretching and tearing of
skin Skin Appendages
 Thicker than papillary;
toughness and strenght
 Elastin – allows skin to Hair
stretch
o stretch marks –  Minor protective functions (retain heat, decrease sunburn,
dermal tears eyelashes protect eyes)
o strength (inners)
Structure:
 shaft – projects from skin; main component
 root – embedded in skin
 follicle – extends into dermis
 root – lies within the follicle
 bulb – contains CT, vessels and nerves
 sebaceous gland – lubricates hair
Hypodermis (subcutaneous tissue)  arrector pili muscle – attached to follicle and
contracts to move hair (hair growth,
 Not usually considered part of the skin goosebumps)
 Also called subcutaneous layer
o Site of subcutaneous injections – absorbed directly Nails
into blood stream
o Made of numerous adipose cells  Scale-like modifications of the epidermis
 Anchors skin to underlying organs, shock absorption, insulation  Heavily keratinized
 Composed mostly of adipose tissue  Stratum basale extends beneath the nail bed to form nail matrix
 Very vascular o Responsible for growth ( matrix region)
 Pacinian Corpuscles – nerve endings responsible for  Lack of pigment makes them colorless
sensitivity to deep pressure touch and high frequency  Lunula “little moon” – area of cell growth (white semicircle at
vibration base of nail)
 Cuticle – area of skin that covers base of nail
 Nail matrix- most proximal part of the nail

Sweat Glands

Eccrine Glands

Sensory Nerve Endings in Skin  Widely distributed in skin: abundant on palms, soles,
forehead
1) Free nerve endings- most sensitive to touch, pain and  Sweat composition: mostly water with a slightly acidic 4-6 pH
temperature; widest in terms of distribution (located in  Function: thermoregulation
epidermis)
Apocrine Glands
2) Expanded tip endings
o Merkel discs = touch and pressure  Ducts empty into hair follicles

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 Found mainly in anogenital & axillary region
 Begin to function at puberty due to hormones
 Organic contents: Fatty acids and proteins – can have a
yellowish color that stains clothes
 Odor is from associated bacteria

Ceruminous Glands

 Modified apocrine
gland
 Found in outer 1/3 of
ear canal
 Produce ear wax to
trap “invaders”

Appendages of the Skin

 Sebaceous glands (all over except palms and soles of feet)

o Produce oil for waterproofing
o Lubricant for skin & kills bacteria
o Most with ducts that empty into hair follicles
o Glands are activated at puberty: stimulated
by hormones
o Acne – active infection of sebaceous glands

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