The Integumentary System

1
Introduction

 The organs of the integumentary system

include the skin and its accessory structures
including hair, nails, and glands, as well as
blood vessels, muscles and nerves
 Dermatology is the medical specialty for the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the
integumentary system.

2
 Regulates body temperature
 Stores water and fat
 Sensory organ
 Prevents water loss
 Prevents entry of bacteria
 Production of Vit.D
 Skin characteristics vary (thickness, color,
texture).
 For instance, the head contains more hair
follicles than anywhere else, while soles of
feet contain non.
 In addition, the soles of the feet and palms of
the hands are much thicker
Structure of the Skin
 The skin (cutaneous membrane) covers the
body and is the largest organ of the body by
surface area and weight
 Its area is about 2 square meters (22 square
feet) and weighs 4.5-5kg (10-11 lb), about
7% of body weight
 It is 0.5 – 4 mm thick, thinnest on the eyelids,
thickest on the heels; the average thickness
is 1 – 2 mm
5
Structure of the Skin
 outer, thinner layer called the epidermis,
consists of epithelial tissue.
 inner, thicker layer called the dermis
 Beneath the dermis is a subcutaneous layer
(also called hypodermis) which attaches the
skin to the underlying tissues and organs.

6
Components of the Integumentary
System

7
Structure of the Skin
 The epidermis has a number of important
characteristics:
 Highly cellular, avascular, lacks nerves, sits on a
basement membrane and marked vertical
stratification.
 The epidermis is composed of keratinized (complex
mixture of protein) stratified squamous epithelium
 it contains four major types of cells:
 Keratinocytes (90% of the cells) produce keratin
which is a tough fibrous protein that provides
protection

8
 Stratum corneum (horny layer), fully mature
keratinocytes which contains fibrous proteins
(keratins).
 The outermost layer continously shed.
 Prevents the enery of most foreign
substances as well as loss of fluid from the
body
 Basal layer if the deepest layer of the
epidermis, containing basal cells.
 Basal cells continuously divide, forming new
keratinocytes, replacing the old ones that are
shed form the skin’s surface.
 The epidermis also contains melanocytes
(skin pigment)
 Keratin, waxy protein substances only found
in the epidermis. It makes upo the nails, hairs
and also each superficial skin cells.
 It can absorb water, so keratin swells when
soaking wet. Makes the skin look wrinkled
when you are in the tub too long.
 The water evaporates when you dry off, and
pulls more water out of you body, so soaking
in the tub will dry you skin out…..unless you
out lotion in right away to keep the water in
the epidermal and dermal layers.
 Lotion will not penetrate to the dermis, just
water.
 Dermis is the middle layer of the skin
 Blood vessels
 Lymph vessels
 Hair follicles
 Sweat glands
 Collagen bundles
 Fibroblasts
 Nerves
 The dermis held together by a protein calles
collagen, made by fibroblasts.
 Skin flexibility and strength
 Pain and touch receptors.
 Subcutis…..deepest layer, having network of
collagen and fat cells, conserves body heat,
protect the body from injury by acting as
“shock absorber”
EPIDERMIS

 Stratum corneum (most superfical layer of

epidermis)
 Stratum lucidum (only in thick skin)
 Stratum granulosum
 Stratum spinosum
 Stratum basale or stratum germinativum
(the deepest layer of epidermis)
 Stratum basale or stratum germinativum (the
deepest layer of epidermis), where continuous cell
division occurs which produces all the other layers
 As new cells are made in the S.basale, the older cells get
pushed up and become next layer.
 Melanocytes: which produce the pigment
melanin that protects against damage by
ultraviolet radiation
 Everyone has same number of melanocytes, but
they don’t all make the same amount of pigment, so
peopole have different skin colors.
 Merkel cells: which function in the sensation of
touch along with the adjacent tactile discs
 Macrophages: ingest debris
Types of
Cells in the
Epidermis

17
 Stratum spinosum, attached to each other by
desmosomes which are pointy/spiny
(“spinosum”), 8-10 layers of keratinocytes
 The cells are still alive, but they no longer
divide in this layer
 Provides strength to the epidermis
 Langerhan’s cells (APC’s of skin and mucosa), which are
WBC’s that function in immune responce
 Stratuam grannulosum, cells begin to die
because they are two far from the nutrient
source.
 Cellular appearance is grainy, so this layer is
called stratum grannulosum.
 Stratum granulosum, which includes
keratohyalin and lamellar granules.
 Stratum lucidum (Latin for "clear layer") is a
thin (provide protection from UV radiation), clear layer of
dead skin cells in the epidermis named for its
translucent appearance under a microscope.
 Readily visible by light microscopy only in
areas of thick skin, which are found on the
palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Epidermis
 Stratum corneum: composed of many
sublayers of flat, dead keratinocytes called
corneocytes or squames that are continuously
shed from the surface in about 2 weeks and
replaced by cells from deeper strata, this
process is called desquamation.
 The constant friction can stimulate formation of
a callus. The main difference between thick
skiin and thin skin relates to the thickness of the
stratum corneum.
21
It takes about 15-30 days for a cell to move from
the stratum basale to the stratum corneum and
another 2 weeks for it to shed. We lose half a
million cells/hr; 1.5 gram/day
Keratinization, the accumulation of more and
more protective keratin, occurs as cells move from
the deepest layer to the surface layer
Dandruff - an excess of keratinized cells shed
from the scalp
Layers of the Epidermis

23
Dermis
 The dermis is composed of connective tissue
containing collagen and elastic fibers
 Papillary region (layer) “pimple”. It consists of
areolar (loose) connective tissue containing thin
collagen and elastic fibers, dermal papillae (including
capillary loops), corpuscles of touch and free
nerve endingr
 The papillary layer in the Dermis is that forms our
fingerprints.
 Surgons make incisions on the body based on the
lines of clevage of the skin formed by the papillary
layers of the Dermis

24
Dermis
 Reticular region (deeper layer) consists of
dense irregular connective tissue containing
collagen and elastic fibers adipose cells, hair
follicles, nerves, sebaceous (oil) glands, and
sudoriferous (sweat) glands
 Striae or stretch marks can appear if the skin is
stretched too much
 Leather is made of this layer
 A transdermal patch must diffuse all the way from
the epidermis into the dermis to reach the blood
vessels there.

25
Dermis
 Lines of cleavage - “tension lines” in the skin
indicate the predominant direction of
underlying collagen fibers
 Epidermal ridges reflect contours of the
underlying dermal papillae and form the basis
for fingerprints (and footprints); their
function is to increase firmness of grip by
increasing friction.
 Dermatoglyphics - the study of the pattern
of epidermal ridges
26
 Remember, the epidermis is the strongest
layer of the skin, but the reticular layer of the
dermis is the strongest layer of the dermis
 The blood vessels in the dermis are what
gives a pink color to Caucasian people.
 Pacinian Corpuscle: nerve receptors in the
dermis for vibration and pressure
 Meissner’s Corpuscle: nerve receptors in the
dermis for light touh
Cleavage (Tension)
Lines and Striae
 Cleavage (tension) lines:
elastin and collagen fibers
oriented in some directions
more than in others

 Important in surgery
 If incision parallel to lines,
there is less gapping, faster
healing, less scar tissue

 If skin is overstretched,
striae (stretch marks) occur

28
29
Subcutaneous Layer

 Subcutaneous (subQ) layer (also called

hypodermis, Fat layer) is not part of the skin
but, among its functions, it attaches the skin
to the underlying tissues and organs; this
layer (and sometimes the dermis) contains
lamellated (pacinian) corpuscles which
detect external pressure applied to the skin.
 Varies tremendously in thickness: Shins =
thin; Buttocks = thick.

30
 Stores fat
 Cushions
 Insulation form cold because of heat
produced by blood vessels in this layers
 Structural Basis of Skin Color
 Variations in skin color arise from variations in
the amounts of three pigments: melanin,
carotene, and hemoglobin
 Melanin - a yellow-red or brown-black pigment
produced by melanocytes (located mostly in the
epidermis, where it absorbs UV radiation)
 The amount of melanin causes the skin’s color
to vary from pale yellow to red to tan to black
 The number of melanocytes are about the same
in all people; differences in skin color is due to
the amount of pigment produced
32
Structural Basis of Skin Color
 A benign localized overgrowth of melanocytes is a
nevus or mole
 Albinism is an inherited inability to produce melanin
- vitiligo is a condition in which there is a partial or
complete loss of melanocytes from patches of skin
 Carotene - yellow-orange pigment (found in the
stratum corneum, dermis, and subcutaneous layer)
 Hemoglobin – Dermis contains the blood vessels-
red color (located in erythrocytes flowing through
dermal capillaries). Even veins are red because
blood is red. But when you look at veins through
adipose tissue, the bluish color appear.

33
Accessory Structures of the Skin

 Include hair, skin glands, and nails

 Hairs (pili) 2 million hairs on the body;
200,000 on the scalp.
 protection
 reduction of heat loss
 sensing light touch

34
Accessory Structures of the Skin - Hair

 Hair matrix is the leading edge of the papillae,

composed of of dead, keratinized epidermal cells
which are rapidly dividing.

 shaft which mostly projects above the surface of the

skin
 root which penetrates into the dermis
 hair follicle
 epithelial root sheath – (downward continuation
of the epidermis)
 dermal root sheath -

35
36
37
 There are different types of hairs including
lanugo, vellus hairs and terminal hairs
 Hair color is determined by the amount and
type of melanin
 Sebaceous (oil) glands are connected to
hair follicles

38
Skin Glands

 Sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance

called sebum which prevents dehydration of
hair and skin, and inhibits growth of certain
bacteria (Sebum=triglycerides, cholesterol,
proteins, and inorganic salts)
 Sudoriferous (sweat) glands-- 2 types:
 Eccrine sweat glands
 Apocrine sweat glands

39
 Numerous eccrine (or merocrine) sweat glands
helps to cool the body by evaporating, and also
eliminates small amounts of wastes.
 Apocrine sweat glands, located mainly in the skin of
the axilla, groin, areolae, and bearded facial regions of
adult males.
 their excretory ducts open into hair follicles- this sweat is
secreted during emotional stress and sexual excitement.
 Pheromone; for sexual attraction, with no conscious odor. The
smell form the axilla is from bacteris that are attracted by the
gland.
 Also regulate the menstrual cycles of females.

40
 The mammary glands are apocrine galnds.
They secrete milk.
 Each breast has dozens of glands with their
own duct to the surface in the nipple and
areola.
 In a women who is not lactating, the majority
of the tissue is adipose.
Ceruminous Glands

 Modified sweat glands located in the ear

canal.
 Along with nearby sebaceous glands, they
are involved in producing a waxy secretion
called cerumen (earwax) which provides a
sticky barrier that prevents entry of foreign
bodies into the ear canal.

42
Nails
 Nails are composed of hard, keratinized epidermal
cells located over the dorsal surfaces of the ends of
fingers and toes. At the nail matrix there is rapid
division of keratinocytes, ans as they die, the skin
moves up and creates the nail.
 Each nail consists of:
 The proximal nail fold creates the cuticle. The cuticle is
called eponychium.
 free edge
 transparent nail body (plate) with a whitish lunula at its
base
 nail root embedded in a fold of skin

43
Nails

44