Integument Flashcards
Integument
a covering or investment that extends over the body surfaces
Integument functions
- Serves as a mechanical barrier, preventing penetration of substances into the body
- Produces the pigment melanin which protects against UV
- assists in excretion of metabolic waste products
- acts as a shock absorber
- Protects against injuries from impact or friction
- prevents evaporation of various body fluids
- assists with thermoregulation
- serves as an extremely sensitive sensory organ
Skin
Firmly anchored to the subcutaneous tissue
Comprised of two elements
Outermost Epidermis
and underlying dermis
Subcutaneous tissue
hypodermis
Epidermis
Outermost layer of skin
Made of stratified epithelial cells
Epidermal cells are produced continuously through ongoing mitosis that begins in the deepest cells adjacent to the dermis
They migrate toward the surface until they break free of the skin and are shed (ROOM DUST)
NO direct blood supply
Dermis
Composed of connective tissues
Tattoos involve the injection of ink into the deep dermis
Stratum Corneum
Outermost later of the epidermis
Made of tough, protective keratinized cells
Sweat glands
Located deep within the dermis
Include thin sweat duct that extends upward, passing through the epidermis
Opens on skin surface as a sweat pore
Dissipating excess body heat on the surface of stratum corneum
Hair
Absent on thick skin found of palms and soles
Hair follicle
Deep end of the hair shaft is expanded
nourished by blood vessels present in superficial fascia
Sebaceous Glands
Oil-production for the hair shaft
Arrector pili muscles
Strands of smooth muscle
Tug on the hair shaft to produce goose bumps
Sensory nerve fibers
Extend to the dermal-epidermal junction
Responsive to pain, touch and temperature changes
Pacinian Corpuscles
Deep within the dermis
Receptors are sensitive to deep pressure and vibration
Adipose tissue
Abundant insulation in the subcutaneous tissue
Serves to store energy and acts as a shock absorber
