The Integumentary System.

The skin and it's accessory structures, Cutaneous glands , hair and nails,serve a number of
functions.Mostly protection of the underlying organs.

Accessory Structures

1. The Hair

 Are keratinised filaments distributed all over the body except for the palms ,
umbilicus, dorsal surface of distal phalanges, glans penis , inner surface of
prepuce.

 Hair is made of three layers ; medulla,cortex and cuticle.

The central core,the medulla, is surrounded by the bulky cortex layer.The cuticle
encloses the cortex.It is a single layer of cells that overlap one another to keep hairs
apart.The cuticle is the most heavily keratinised region that provides strength and
helps keep the inner hair layers tightly compacted .

Desquamation (shedding the keratinised cells from the surface) roughens the skin
surface.

 They grow from hair follicles (i.e down growths of epidermal cells into the dermis)

 At the base of the follicle is a cluster of cells,the hair papilla or hair bulb .

 Hair above the skin is shaft while below the skin is the root .

 Hair pigments responsible for the hair color are made by melanocytes in the hair
bulb .Varying amounts of different types of melanin combine to produce all
varieties of hair color .

 Papilla provide blood supply to the matrix in the hair bulb .

 White hair is as a result of replacement of melanin by tiny air bubbles.

 Arrector pilli are little bundles of smooth muscle fibres that attach the hair follicles to the
dermal tissue. Contributes to thermoregulation in the body.
Hair is formed when there is multiplication of bulb cells. As they multiply and are pushed
upwards away from their source of nutrients,they die and become keratinised.

2. The Nail .

 It is derived from the same cells as epidermis and the hair.

 They are hard horny keratin plates that protect the fingertips and toes.

 Each nail has a free edge , a body and a root.

 The borders of the nail overlapped by skin folds are the Nail folds.

 The root of the nail is embedded in the skin and covered by cuticle that forms the
hemispherical pale area called the Lunula .
 Nail plate is the exposed part grown out of the germinative zone of the epidermis called
the nail bed .

 Nail matrix is the tissue upon which the nail rests on. Responsible for the production of
cells that become the nail plate i.e body of the nail. The size ,length and thickness of the
matrix determines the width and thickness of the nail plate .

 Nail bed is the skin beneath the nail plate . Composed of two types of tissues ; the
deeper dermis and the superficial epidermis.These two tissues are attached together by
tiny longitudinal "grooves " called the matrix crests.

 Fingernails grow more rapidly than toe nails.

 Their growth is faster when temperatures are high .

3. The Cutaneous Glands

-As these glands are formed by cells, they push deeper into the skin and reside almost entirely in
the dermis .

- They are all Exocrine glands that release their secretions to the skin surface . Two groups of
the same : the Sebaceous glands and the Sweat glands.

a) The Sebaceous Glands

 They are found all over the skin except palms and soles.

 They consist of secretory epithelial cells derived from the same tissue as the hair
follicles.

 It secrets sebum (mixture of oily substances and fragmental cells).

 The are most numerous in scalp,face,axillae and groins.

 The sebum keeps the hair soft and pliable giving it a shiny appearance. It provides
waterproofing property and acts as a bactericidal and fungicidal agent, preventing
infection, drying and cracking of the skin on exposure to sunlight and heat. Prevents hair
from becoming brittle.

 They are excessively active at puberty and less at extreme age and infant.

b) The Sweat Glands / Sudoriferous Glands

- Widely distributed in the skin .

- Two types: Eccrine and Appocrine glands

* ECCRINE GLANDS (Merocrine)

 They are distributed over the skin except except margin of lips, nail beds, glans penis,
glans clitoris and ear drums.They are most numerous in the skin of palms and soles.

 Sweat produced is a clear watery fluid important in thermoregulation. The sweat

consists of water, some salts, vitamin C, trace of metabolic waste and lactic acid.

 It is stimulated by sympathetic nerves in response to raised body temperature and fear.

*APOCRINE GLANDS

 Are largely confined to the auxiliary and genital areas of the body, larger than Eccrine
glands.

 Their ducts empty into the hair follicles; their secretions contain fatty acids and
proteins as well as substances present in Eccrine secretions.
  They may play a role in sexual arosal; more active at puberty , under the influence of
androgens.

 Bacterial decomposition of their secretions cause an unpleasant ordour.

 Play minimal role in thermoregulation.

- Excess sweating may lead to dehydration and serious depletion of sodium chloride levels
unless appropriate increase in intake of salt and water.