Chapter 5 Flashcards
skin aka cutaneous membrane
covers the external surface of the body, and is the largest organ of the body in both surface area and weight
epidermis
the superficial, thinner portion of the skin; composed of epithelial tissue; AVASCULAR
dermis
deeper, thicker connective tissue portion of the skin; VASCULAR
subcutaneous (SubQ) layer aka hypodermis
consists of auroral and adipose tissue; serves as a storage depot for fat and contains large blood vessels that supply the skin
epidermis
composed of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium; contains 4 types of cells: keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells and Merkel cells
keratinocytes
make up 90% of epidermal cells; arranged in 4 or 5 layers that produce protein keratin
keratin
tough fibrous protein that helps protect the skin and underlying tissues from abrasions, heat, microbes and granules
melanocytes
make up 8% of epidermal cells; produce the pigment melanin
melanin
yellow-red/brown-black pigment that contributes to skin colour and absorbs damaging UV rays
Langerhans Cells aka epidermal dendritic cells
make up small fraction of epidermal cells; participate in immune responses against microbes that invade the skin; easily damaged by UV light; help other cells of the immune system recognize an invading microbe and destroy it
Merkel Cells
least numerous epidermal cells; detect touch sensations
stratum basale aka stratum germinativum
deepest layer of the epidermis; composed of a single row of cuboidal or columnar keratinocytes
stratum spinosum
superficial layer to the stratum basal; consists of keratinocytes arranged in 8-10 layers
stratum granulosum
middle layer of the epidermis; consists of 3-5 layers of flattened keratinocytes that are undergoing apoptosis (genetically programmed cell death), organelles of these cells begin to degenerate as they move farther from their nutrition source
-distinctive feature: darkly staining granules of protein keratohyalin
Stratum Lucidum
present only in thick skin; 4-6 layers of flattened, clear, dead keratinocytes that contain large amounts of keratin and thickened plasma membranes; provides extra level of toughness
Stratum corneum
25-30 layers of flattened, dead keratinocytes; cells are extremely thin; held together with other cells by wavy folds in a puzzle
callus
forms from constant exposure of skin to friction
keratinization
as cells move from one layer to the next, they accumulate more and more keratin
dermis
deeper than epidermis; composed of dense irregular connective tissue containing collagen and elastic fibres;
papillary region
makes up about 1/5 of the thickness of the dermis; consists of thin collagen and fine elastic fibres
dermal papillae
small, nipple shaped structures that project into the undersurface of the epidermis; increases surface area of papillary region of the dermis
Meissner corpuscles aka corpuscles of touch
nerve endings that are sensitive to touch
free nerve ending
dendrites that lack any apparent structural specializations
reticular region
attached to subcutaneous layer; consists of bundles of thick collagen fibres, scattered fibroblasts and various wandering cells (i.e. macrophages)
epidermal ridge
produced during the 3rd month of fetal development as downward projections of the epidermis into the dermis between the dermal papillae and papillary region; create a strong bond between the epidermis and dermis in a region of high mechanical stress
melanin
amount causes the skin’s colour to vary pale yellow to reddish-brown to black
carotene
yellow orange pigment that gives egg yolks and carrots their colour
albinism
inherited inability of an individual to produce melanin
hair
present on most skin surfaces except palms, palmar surfaces of fingers, soles and plantar surfaces of feet