Week 4:

The INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

MC102 nur – HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

March 2 – March 7, 2020
School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences
COLLEGE of NURSING
 Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the lecture, the students

shall be able to:

• describe the structure and functions of the

epidermis;

• describe the epidermal strata, and relate

them to the process of keratinization;
 Learning Outcomes

• describe the structure and function of the

dermis;

• explain how melanin, blood, carotene, and

collagen affect skin color;

• discuss the structure and function of the

subcutaneous tissue;
 Learning Outcomes

• discuss the structure of a hair, and the

phases of hair growth;

• discuss the glands of the skin and the

secretions they produce;

• explain the parts of a nail, and how nails

grow;
 Learning Outcomes

• explain how the integumentary system can

be used as a diagnostic aid

• predict the effects of aging on the

integumentary system
 Skin
• made up of two major tissue layers:
Epidermis
• most superficial skin layer

• stratified squamous epithelium (See related figure for

the various epidermal strata)

• has outermost cells that protect the cells underneath,

while deeper cells follow mitosis to replace old and
worn-out cells (desquamation and keratinization)

• prevents water loss and resists abrasion

 Skin
• Dermis

• dense connective tissue with fibroblasts,

adipocytes, and macrophages

• skin layer where hair follicles and glands (to

be discussed later in the accessory skin
structures) , nerves, smooth muscles
(arrector pili) , and lymphatic vessels
extend
 Skin
• Dermis
• has protein fibers responsible for its structural strength:
» collagen fibers that resist stretching along
cleavage/tension lines they produce
» elastic fibers that provides elasticity

• has an upper part (dermal papillae) that

» supplies the epidermis with nutrients, removes
waste products, and helps regulate body
temperature
» increases friction and improves the grip of
hands and feet with the ridges they form
 Skin
• has color determined by:
• pigments
– melanin from melanocytes
– carotene that accumulates in the
lipids of the stratum corneum,
adipocytes of dermis and
subcutaneous tissue
• circulating blood
• thickness of stratum corneum
 Subcutaneous Tissue
• Subcutaneous Tissue
– also called hypodermis
– loose connective tissue, including
adipose tissue (that functions as
padding and insulation)
Accessory Skin Structures
• Hair
– arises from the hair follicle
– found everywhere, except:
• palms
• soles
• lips
• nipples
• parts of genitalia
• distal segments of fingers and toes
Accessory Skin Structures
– has the following parts:
• shaft and root
• hair bulb
• cortex and medulla
• cuticle and papilla
Accessory Skin Structures
• HAIR is produced in cycles of growth and
resting stages
Accessory Skin Structures
• Glands
– secretory organs composed primarily of
epithelium with supporting network of
connective tissue (Recall Tissues in page 77.)
– maybe:
• sebaceous
• sweat
–eccrine
–apocrine
Accessory Skin Structures
• Nails
– thin plate consisting of layers of dead
stratum corneum that contain keratin
 Physiology of the Integumentary
System
• Functions of the Integumentary System
protection
• from water loss due to its lipids acting as a barrier to
water diffusion from deeper tissues to surface of
epidermis
• from microorganisms as first life of defense, and due
to glandular secretions producing unsuitable
environment for these microbes
• from abrasion of the underlying structures by the
stratified squamous epithelium
• from the damaging effects of UV absorbed by melanin
• from the various roles of the hair and nails
 Physiology of the Integumentary
System
• Functions of the Integumentary System
sensation through the various nerves and
receptors
 Physiology of the Integumentary
System
• Functions of the Integumentary System
– vitamin D production through the conversion
of metabolites upon skin exposure to sunlight
 Physiology of the Integumentary
System
• Functions of the Integumentary System
temperature regulation through the
actions of the dermal blood vessels
 Physiology of the Integumentary
System
• Functions of the Integumentary System
excretion through the sweat glands
Integumentary System As Diagnostic
Aid
• Integumentary System As Diagnostic Aid
ready tool for physical examination:

• inspection – color, temperature,

presence of lesions (rashes, swelling)

• palpation – turgor
Aging and the Skin
Post Discussion Questions:
• How do we maintain the health of the
integumentary system?
• What factors affect the integrity of the
integumentary system?
• What insights have you gained from the
cycles associated with the integumentary
system?
• What do these cycles say about life in
general?
 Reference
• Van Putte, C.L., Regan, J.L, & Russo, A. F
(2019). Seeley’s Essentials of Anatomy
and Physiology, 10th Ed. New York,
McGraw-Hill Education.