Integument Flashcards
The skin and derivations/appendages make up the __ and ___ organ in the body
largest and heaviest
What % total body weight is the skin?
16
What are the 7 main functions of the skin? (dont need to explain)
- protective
- Immunological
- Sensory
- Exocrine
- Endocrine
- Homeostasis
- Communication
How is the skin protective?
water resistant barrier that protects against dehydration, abrasions, UV light, and toxins
How is the skin immunological?
acts as a passive barrier to pathogens but also contains APCs
What kind of exocrine activity does the skin have? (4 kinds)
Eccrine sweat glands for excretion and cooling
Apocrine sweat glands for signalling
Sebaceous glands for lubrication
Mammary glands for nutrition
What is an endocrine function of the skin?
part of the vitamin D synthesis pathway occurs here
What are some homeostatic functions of the skin?
Thermoregulation, water conservation, gas exchange, and excretion
What are some “communication” roles of the skin?
Non-verbal signals like changes in coloration and goosebumps
The most superficial later of the skin is the…?
epidermis
What is the predominant cells type of the epidermis?
Keratinocytes (90%)
Besides keratinocytes, what 3 other cell types make up the epidermis?
- Melanocytes
- Langerhans cells
- Merkel cells
regeneration of the epidermis occurs approximately every…
30 days
The epidermis is avascular, how then is it nourished?
Receives nourishment from vessels in the underlying dermis
What is the only kind of innervation that the epidermis receives?
Unencapsulated (free) nerve endings
the epidermal layer is further subdivided into how many strata?
5
What is the order of the epidermal strata from outer to inner?
- Stratum corneum
- Stratum lucidum
- Stratum granulosum
- Stratum spinosum
- Stratum basale
Which strata isn’t always present in the epidermis?
the stratum lucidum
Where does the division of the keratinocytes occur?
in the stratum basale
what are two main divisions of types of skin? where is each found
thick and thin
- depends on location
- thick is only on the palms of hands and the soles of feet
What is the difference between thick and thin skin in terms of layers? in terms of functions?
the thick skin has all 5
- has abundant sweat glands
- more squamous stratum spinosum cells
thin skin has 4 layers
- stratum lucidum not always detectable
- has hairs
The turnover of the skin surface is made up of 4 overlapping processes: what are they?
- Cell renewal (mitosis)
- Differentiation (keratinization)
- Cell death
- Exfoliation
How long does the keratinization process take? is it totally synchronized?
takes about 15-30 days and occurs in waves
cell layer produced by a mitotic wave in the basal layer undergoes keratinization in synchrony
What is the stratum basale comprised of and what does it rest on?
Single later of columnar cells that sit on the basal lamina
What 3 cell types are in the stratum basale?
- mitotically active keratinocytes
- Melanocytes
- Merkel cells
How are kertinocytes linked together and to the basal lamina?
Linked together by desmosomes and to the basal lamina by hemidesmosomes
What 4 parts make up the structure of the desmosome? what do they do?
- Adaptor proteins that attach keratin filaments to the cytoplasmic plaque
- Transmembrane linkers that connect adjacent cells
- Cytoplasmic domain which binds the adaptor
- Extracellular domain which associates with linkers on the opposing cell
Keratin filaments are also called two other things..?
Tonofilaments and intermediate filaments
Hemidesmosomes are only found in the ___ and the intercellular proteins are ___ as opposed to ___
only found in the stratum basale
intercellular proteins are integrins instead of cadherins
What is the morphology of the cells in the stratum spinosum layer? What do they have?
Cuboidal to squamous cells with central nuclei
Have aggregates of keratin called tonofilaments
What are the cells in the stratum spinosum responsible for?
responsible for the mechanical strength of the epidermis
What are the layers of cells like in the stratum spinosum? single or multiple?
variable number depending on location
What is the Malpighian layer?
layer including the stratum basale and the stratum spinosum
Nearly all of what occurs in the Malpighian layer and when?
mitotic activity and at night
What gives the stratum spinosum the “spikey” appearance?
the tonofilaments that are linked cell to cell by desmosomes
the intercellular bridges of the keratinocytes (prickle cells) bind the cells of this layer together strongly and resist..
abrasion
In the stratum granulosum, the keratinocytes are mainly…
squamous
What do the keratinocytes in the stratum granulosum layer contain (2 things)
- membraneless keratohyalin granules
2. Membraned lamellar granules
Is there divisional capacity in the stratum granulosum?
Nope but the cells are still alive and making lots of keratin
What do lamellar granules do? What does this accomplish
Fuse with the plasma membrane and release their contents into the intercellular spaces
these glycosaminoglycans and phospholipids may be important in sealing the deeper layers of the skin from the external environment/protect from dehydration
What layer sits on top of the stratum granulosum?
the stratum lucidum but only in thick skin
What is the morphology of the stratum lucidum?
a narrow, acidophilic, translucent band of flattened keratinocytes
What are not visible in the keratinocytes of the stratum lucidum?
Nuclei, organelles, and intercellular borders
What is found in the cytoplasm of the keratonocytes of the stratum lucidum?
dense cytokeratin aggregates embedded in an amorphous, electron dense matrix derived from keratohyalin granules
What makes up the stratum corneum?
many layers of dead, plate like keratinocytes
What are the keratonocytes of the stratum corneum like (mophologically)
have thickened plasma membranes and lack nuclei
Filled with almost pure keratin
What is the function of the stratum corneum?
acts as the permeability barrier of the skin
What acts as a sealant between the cells of the stratum corneum?
epidermal lipids
What does differentiation of a Keratinocyte entail?
- accumulation of keratin filaments
- aggregation of filaments into tonofibrils
- synthesis of lamellar granules
- Release of lamellar granules at cell surface
In what layer do the nuclei of the keratinocytes begin to degenerate?
In the outer layer of the stratum granulosum
What else degrades in the stratum granulosum? Why?
Intracellular organelles do as a result of release of lysosomal enzymes
Melanocytes make up what % of cells in the epidermis?
about 5
Where are melanocytes found?
in the stratum basale
How are melanocytes attached and to which cells?
Attached to the basal lamina via hemidesmosomes
Not attached to neighboring keratinocytes
Where is skin pigment made?
In melanosomes
How is skin pigment dispersed?
Melanosomes aggregate as granules and are delivered in small packaged to each basal cell by dendrites to other keratinocytes
What does the pigment do /where does it go in each cell?
Sit over the nucleus of each cell
protects against UV damage
What is required to make melanin?
Tyrosinase is required for melanocytes to produce melanin from the amino acid tyrosine
this enzyme is lacking in people who are albino
Where is the highest concentration of melanin?
In the cells that are most deeply localized and actively dividing
- the DNA is therefore more sensitive to damage
- other layers don’t have proliferative cells so it doesn’t matter is the DNA is damaged
Skin colour is conferred by which two pigments?
melanin and carotene
What other factors besides pigment affect skin coloration?
- Thickness of epidermis
- Number of dermal blood vessels
- Colour of the blood (hemoglobin) in the vessels
the amount of melanin you produce is …
hereditarily conferred
What is carotene?
yellowish pigment found in corneum and dermis. It is a plant pigment that enters the body via food and helps yield the yellow and red skin colours
Which pigment is responsible for darker or lighter skin colourations?
More melanin leads to dark-skin colouration
Caucasians have more carotene than melanin
Does the number of melanocytes differ between people of different skin colours?
No, the keratinocyte processing of melanosomes differs OR the activity of the melanocytes