INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

Dr. Rachita Bhayekar

MBBS MD ANATOMY(Seth GSMC, Mumbai)
Clinical Embryology(NUH, Singapore)
Objectives:
 General Objective
To know the structure and function of skin and its appendages
(derivatives).
 Specific Objectives
1. To know the microscopic structure of the epidermis, dermis and
hypodermis.
2. To know the histological differences between hairy (thin) and
glabrous (thick) skin.
3. To know the formation and histology of skin appendages: eccrine
and apocrine sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hairs, nails and
specialised glands.
4. To know the histological features of Pacinian and Meissner
corpuscles and free nerve endings.

AN 72.3
Skin and its appendages under the microscope and correlate the structures
with its functions
Integument - natural covering of an organism
Skin and appendages: sweat glands, sebaceous
glands, hair and nails.
Skin – epidermis, dermis (different germ layers)
Epidermis:
-stratified squamous
keratinized epithelium
(ectoderm)
Dermis:
-connective tissue proper
(mesoderm)

Hypodermis (superficial
fascia) - is not a part of the
skin
-loose connective tissue with
varying amount of fat cells.
epidermal ridges

Rete apparatus:
-interface between
epidermis and dermis
-formed by dermal
ridges (papillae) and
epidermal ridges.
Epidermis - stratified squamous keratinized epithelium

Keratinocytes
(most numerous)
 Epidermis
thick skin – 5 layers thin skin – 4 layers

Stratum corneum

Stratum lucidum
(only thick skin)
Stratum
granulosum

Stratum spinosum

Stratum basale
 sebaceou
s gland
sweat
gland

Thick skin Thin skin

-palms and soles -thin stratum corneum and
-lacks hair follicles and lacks stratum lucidum.
sebaceous glands. -hair follicles, sebaceous and
sweat glands.
Stratum basale (germinativum)

stratum spinosum

differentiation differentiation

Stratum
basale

single layer of mitotically active, cuboidal to

columnar cells (on the basement membrane).
cells divide and new cells are pushed to the
next layer
– stratum spinosum (cell renewal in
 tonofilaments

Desmosomes, hemidesmosomes
tonofilaments (keratin intermediate filaments )
Stratum spinosum (prickle cell
layer) - 8-10 layers of cells

bundles of
tonofilaments
(tonofibrils)
involucrin
(keratinization),
lamellar granules
– lipids
Stratum spinosum

Malpighian layer.
-basally located cells
of stratum spinosum
and cells of stratum
basale divide -
renewal of
malpighian
layer keratinocytes
Stratum granulosum
lamellar granules - lipids – in extracellular
space form impermeable waterproof barrier
(protection against desiccation) – cells superficial
to stratum granulosum - devoid of nutrients - die.

lamellar
granules
Stratum
granulosum

keratohyalin involucrin
granules (connect
keratohyalin
with tonofilaments) filaggrin granules and
filaggrin - involved tonofilaments

in keratinization -
binds to keratin
filaments involucrin
Stratum lucidum
-present only in thick skin, flattened cells devoid of
organelles and nuclei.
 (involucrin)
Stratum lucidum
keratin filaments,
filaggrin, eleidin
(transformation
product of
keratohyalin
keratohyalin). filaggrin

cells enveloped by
involucrin (synthesized
in stratum spinosum,
involucrin
cross linked in stratum
granulosum) - support
– protection - pathogens keratin
filaments
Stratum corneum - horny cells or corneocytes

several layers of flattened, keratinized, dead cells

lack nuclei and organelles, keratin filaments embedded
in amorphous matrix.
cells near the surface lose desmosomes and become
desquamated.
Epidermis - keratinocytes and Langerhan’s cells
Merkel cells, Melanocytes
Langerhans cells - 2- 4%

Birbeck granules
(vermiform granules)
Langerhans cells MHC class I and II

- in all layers (mainly

in the stratum
spinosum)

dendritic cells (antigen-presenting cells) - Birbeck

granules (vermiform granules), long processes.
after phagocytosis of antigens - migrate to lymph
nodes and present antigen to lymphocytes T.
Melanocytes

melanosomes

- in stratum basale

melanin – pigment - brown color of skin.

granules – melanosomes - enzyme tyrosinase
(activated by UV light) - converts amino acid tyrosine
into melanin - melanosomes - phagocytosed by
keratinocytes
 Melanocytes
- processes of melanocytes
in the stratum spinosum.
- melanosomes travel to the
tips of processes, and
become pinched off.

within keratinocytes -
melanosomes -
between nuclei and
surface of the cell -
protect nuclei against
UV light
 Merkel cells (mechanoreceptors)

in stratum basale (finger tips, at the base of hair

follicles).
sensory nerves pass through the basal lamina -
form -
Merkel cell-neurite complexes –
Naked nerve endings in epidermis (Nonencapsulated)

Mechanoreceptors - touch and pressure.

Thermoreceptors - temperature differences
Nociceptors - pain perception (mechanical stress and
damage)
Dermis (corium) - derived from
mesoderm

- papillary and reticular layers.

- connective tissue proper.
 Papillary layer
- loose connective tissue
- capillary loops -
temperature regulation,
Blood vessels
nutrients
- anchoring fibers
(collagen type VII)
bind dermis to
epidermis.

collagen type VII

Encapsulated receptors of papillary layer of the dermis

Meissner’s corpuscles
Krause end bulbs
Ruffini corpuscles
(also in reticular layer)
Meissner’s corpuscles - in dermal papillae –
Mechanoreceptors - sensitivity to light touch

unmyelinated nerve endings + connective tissue

capsule
in nonhairy skin of fingers, lips, external genitalia,
palms and feet.
Krause’s end-bulb
capsule

spherical, encapsulated nerve endings.

receptors sensitive to cold, respond to continuous
pressure?
Ruffini’s endings (corpuscles) -
mechanoreceptors

branched nerve endings surrounded by several

layers of modified fibroblasts and connective tissue
capsule
perception of stretching and pressure.
Reticular layer of
the dermis

dense, irregular
connective tissue
sweat, sebaceous
glands and hair
follicles.
vibration and pressure.
the core - the nerve ending with Schwann
cells - surrounded by several dozen layers of
modified fibroblasts and connective tissue.
Sweat eccrine glands - merocrine

- simple, coiled
tubular glands
(invagination
of the
epithelium)
- present
throughout
the body

- secretor
y portoin
- duct
 Mechanizmes of secretion of exocrine glands

Merocrine gland – exocytosis – sweat gland

Apocrine gland – apical part of cytoplasm is released
with the secretory product - mammary gland
Holocrine gland – secretory cell dies and becomes the
secretory product - sebaceous glands
Sweat eccrine (merocrine) glands
Secretory unit
-simple cuboidal to low
columnar epithelium
-dark cells – mucus
-clear cells - water
solution
-myoepithelial cells
(myosin/actin filaments)

Duct
-2 layers cuboidal epithelium:
basal and luminal layer.
Sweat eccrine (merocrine) glands
ducts - coiled. In epidermis, keratinocytes constitute
walls of ducts (sweat pores)
 Ear canal
Apocrine sweat
Axillae
glands - vestigial
Niplle scent glands
Ano-genital
region

in the axilla, areola of the nipple and anal region.

larger than eccrine, ducts open into canals of hair
follicles.
secretion regulated by sex hormones, does not begin
until puberty.
Sebaceous glands (holocrine glands) - absent on
the palms and soles
- lobular glands - clusters of
acini and short duct
(stratified squamous
epithelium).
- sebum – wax-like
substance - flexibility.
- ducts open into the canal of
hair follicles, in no hairy skin
onto the surface of the skin.
- under the influence of sex
hormones - increase activity
after puberty.
 Sebaceous glands (holocrine glands)

duct

acinus

acinus
-basal cells (stem cells) and larger, round cells.
-round cells - filled with lipid droplets, undergo necrosis
and lipid - cellular debris released from glands.
Hair follicles - a sack from which a hair develops
-invaginations of epidermis surrounded by connective
tissue of dermis
 - basement
membrane -
glassy membrane
separates
epidermis from
dermis.

hair
bulb

in the hair root – dermal papilla – blood vessels –

nutrients, oxygen
hair root – matrix – growth of hair.
hair root (with matrix) and dermal papilla - hair
 Cells of matrix
proliferate and
differentiate to form
hair shaft

Hair shaft
-medulla (present only in thick
hair)
-cortex
-hair cuticle.
Hair shaft – surrounded by:
- external and internal
root sheath - layers of
epidermis
-external root sheath external
(single layer of cells at the root
hair bulb and several layers sheath
near the surface)
internal
-external root sheath root
surrounds internal root sheath
sheath
Internal root
sheath
-Henle’s
layer
-Huxley’s
layer
-cuticle of
the
internal root
sheath
Bulge – stem cells
(continuation of stratum
basale)
-stem cells – also in
matrix

- melanocytes - present
among cells of matrix
(color of the hair).
Role of the
skin

Covers underlying soft tissues, reduces fluid loss

(desiccation)
Protection against injury, an anatomical barrier for
pathogens
Regulation of body temperature
(thermoregulation) Reception of sensations: touch,
temperature, pain Synthesis of vitamin D
Arrector pili muscles

- arrector pili muscles

depress the skin -
elevate the hair
shaft - the skin
forms „goose
bumps”.
attached to the connective
tissue sheath
smooth muscle cells
Applied aspects
Psoriasis is a common skin disease where
the cells in the stratum basale proliferate very
rapidly and undergo keratinization within 7 days
(normally keratinization takes 40–60 days). This
results in increase in thickness of epidermis with
immature keratinocytes producing raised red
patches under white scale. These cells are
desquamated prematurely before the keratin is
fully formed.
Vitiligo is another common skin disease in
which the melanocytes are destroyed due to an
autoimmune reaction. This results in bilateral
depigmentation of skin.

Moles or Nevi are benign accumulation of

melanocytes in the dermis, epidermis or both.
Applied aspects

Chronic exposure to excessive UV light

leads to various skin cancers such as,
basal cell carcinoma affecting basal cells of
stratum basale, squamous cell carcinoma
affecting squamous cells of stratum
spinosum and malignant melanoma affecting
melanocytes. Malignant melanoma is a
dangerous invasive tumour of melanocytes.
This may penetrate into dermis and invade
the blood and lymph vessels to gain wider
ramification
Any disturbance in the flow of sebum may
lead to formation of acne (pimple), which is
caused by inflammation of sebaceous gland
due to bacterial infection. Acne may contain
pus and are usually confined to face in
Self-assessment Exercise
I. Present detailed account of: (a) Structure of skin (b) Epidermal derivatives of
skin

II. Write short notes on: (a) Layers of epidermis (b) Melanocytes (c) Hair and hair
follicle (d) Glands of skin (e) Cutaneous receptors (f) Differences between eccrine
and apocrine sweat glands

III. Fill in the blanks:

1. The specialised arteriovenous anastomosis in the skin is called________
2. Melanocytes are derived from ______________
3. The enzyme that plays an important role in melanin synthesis is __________
4. Absence of the tyrosinase activity leads to a condition called ______________
5. Inflammation of sebaceous glands leads to formation of ______________
6. Skin of foetus is covered by fi ne hair called ______________
7. The receptor involved in two point tactile discrimination is ______________
8. The appendages of skin consist of ______________ and ______________
9. The study of the configuration of ridges and sulci on the palm and sole is known
as _____________
IV. Choose the best answer:

1. Thick skin is characterised by the presence of

(a) thick dermis
(b) long interlocking epidermal ridges with dermal papillae
(c) thick basement membrane
(d) all of the above

2. Thin skin is characterised by the presence of

(e) thin epidermis
(f) hair follicle
(g) sebaceous gland
(h) all of the above

3. Which of the following cells of epidermis is part of the immune system?

(a) Keratinocyte
(b) Melanocyte
(c) Langerhans cell
(d) Merkel’s cell
4. The cutaneous receptor concerned with pressure is
(a) Pacinian corpuscle
(b) Meissner’s corpuscle
(c) free nerve ending
(d) peritrichial nerve ending

5. The secretory tubules of sweat gland can be differentiated from the

duct part by
(a) simple cuboidal epithelial lining
(b) Stratified cuboidal epithelial lining
(c) smaller diameter of the tubule
(d) darker staining reaction with routine stains
V. State whether the following statements are true (T)
or false (F):

1. Epidermis of skin is involved in synthesis of vitamin E ( )

2. Skin is the largest and heaviest sense organ ( )
3. Keratinocytes contain tonofilaments in their cytoplasm ( )
4. Stratum lucidum of epidermis is well developed in thick skin ( )
5 Sebaceous gland is a compound acinar gland ( )
6. Mammary gland is a modified apocrine sweat gland ( )
7. Hair do not grow continuously ( )
8. The main constituent of the hair is formed by the cells of the medulla
9. Eccrine sweat glands are innervated by cholinergic sympathetic
nerve fibres ( )
10. Sweat glands are absent in red margin of lip ( )
VI. Match the items of column ‘A’ with those of column ‘B’:

Column ‘A’ " " Column ‘B’

1. Glomera ( ) a. Modified sebaceous gland
2. Sweat gland ( ) b. Modified apocrine sweat gland
3. Sebaceous gland ( ) c. Thermoregulation
4. Ceruminous gland ( ) d. Hair follicle
5. Meibomian gland ( ) e. Blood pressure regulation
Answers

III. 1. Glomus
2. Neural crest cells
3. Tyrosinase
4. Albinism
5. Acne
6. Lanugo or primary hair
7. Meissner’s corpuscle
8. Hair and nail
9. Dermatoglyphics
IV. 1. b 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. a
V. 1. (F) 2. (T) 3. (T) 4. (T) 5. (F) 6. (T) 7. (T) 8. (F) 9.
(T) 10. (T)
VI. 1. e 2. c 3. d 4. b 5. a
THANK YOU