The Integumentary System

I. The skin is composed of two layers:

Top EPIDERMIS and inner DERMIS. A
fatty SUBCUTANEOUS LAYER lies beneath
the skin.
A. The epidermis
1. Composed of stratified squamous epithelium.
Lacks blood vessels.
2. Lowest layer divides quickly (stratum basale) and pushes
older cells toward the surface where
they die.
3. The older cells (keratinocytes) produce
keratin (tough, waterproof protein).
Extra
Extra
4. Layers from
top: Corneum,
granulosum,
spinosum,
basale
5. In the palms of hands and soles of the feet there is an extra
stratum lucidum layer between the stratum granulosum and the
stratum corneum.
5. Melanocytes are specialized epidermal cells that make the
dark pigment melanin (provides skin color).
B. The dermis
1. The dermis binds the epidermis to the underlying tissues.
2. Composed of collagenous and elastic fibers.
3. Contains muscle and nerve fibers, blood vessels, hair follicles,
sebaceous glands, and sweat glands.
C. Subcutaneous layer
1. It is made of loose connective and adipose
tissues.
2. It regulates heat by insulating the body.
3. It contains the major blood vessels in the skin.
II. Accessory skin organs (located in the dermis)
A. HAIR FOLLICLES
1. Hair develops from hair follicles (a group of epidermal cells).
2. As hair grows, hair cells get pushed out, become keratinized,
and die.
3. Goosebumps are produced when the ARRECTOR
PILI MUSCLE that attaches to each hair follicle
contracts.
B. NAILS
1. They are protective covering at the ends of the
fingers and toes.
2. Nails grow from the whitish, thickened, half
moon-shaped nail bed. Nail cells are full of keratin.
C. SKIN GLANDS
1. SEBACEOUS GLANDS make sebum, a fatty material that helps
keep the hair and skin soft and flexible. They are usually
connected to hair follicles.
2. There are two kinds of SWEAT
GLANDS, ECCRINE and APOCRINE
GLANDS.

a. Eccrine glands - found on the forehead, neck
and back and produce lots of sweat during
exercise or when its hot. Sweat is mostly water,
but contains some waste.
b. Appocrine glands - found in the groin and
around the nipples. Activate at puberty and
produce odorous sweat. They are active when a
person is upset, frightened, in pain, or sexually
aroused.
III. Body temperature and homeostasis.
A. When temperature rises above the bodys set point (98.6),
structures in the skin release heat.
1. VASODILATION (dilation of the
blood vessels) occurs causing more blood
to enter the vessels and heat to escape.
2. RADIATION (heat rays move from warmer to cooler
surroundings in all areas) occurs.
3. CONDUCTION (heat moves from the body to a cooler object
that the body is touching) occurs.
4. CONVECTION (air becomes heated as it comes into contact with
the body and moves away from it) occurs.
5. EVAPORATION occurs when the body sweats. As the water is
carried away, heat leaves with it.
B. When the body drops below the set point the skin responds to warm
it up.
1. VASOCONSTRICTION happens to decrease
the heat lost from radiation, conduction, and
convection.
2. Skeletal muscles may contract slowly (or more
quickly as in shivering), releasing energy and heat
as a byproduct.