Integumentary Overview Flashcards
What two distinct skin layers does the skin include?
Epithelial tissue overlying connective tissue
What does the outer layer of the epidermis composed of?
stratified squamous epithelium
What is the dermis?
Thicker than the epidermis and is made up of connective tissue that contains collagen, elastic fibers, smooth muscle tissue, nervous tissue, and blood.
What is beneath the Dermis?
Masses of areolar and adipose tissues bind the skin to underlying organs. FYI: These tissues are not apart of the skin. They form the hypodermis.
What is a basement Membrane?
What is anchored to the dermis by short fibrils that separates the two skin layers.
The collagen and elastic fibers of the subcutaneous layer are…
continuous with those of the dermis.
Why don’t sharp boundaries separate the dermis and subcutaneous layer?
The adipose tissue of the subcutaneous layer insulates, helping to conserve the body heat. The SubQ layer also contains major blood vessels that supply the skin.
Where are intradermal injections administered to?
into the skin.
Where are subcutaneous injections administered to?
subcutaneous layer.
Where are intramuscular injections administered to?
the muscle.
What to transdermal patches introduce?
The drugs through the skin by an adhesive patch that includes a small reservoir containing the substance.
What is the process of this drug?
The drug passes from the reservoir through a permeable membrane at a known rate.
Where does the drug diffuse? and where does it go?
Diffuses into the epidermis and enters the blood vessels of the dermis.
The Epidermis is composed entirely of?
stratified squamous epithelium
+What does the epidermis lack?
Blood vessels
How is the epidermis organized?
In layers in which the older epidermal cells are pushed from the dermis towards the surface
The further the cells are pushed away from the dermis?..
The poorer their nutrient supply and in time, they die.
What happens in the process of keratinization?
Older cells begin to harden.
Strands of fibrous waterproof keratin proteins are synthesized…
and stored in the cell.
Where are the tightly packed dead cells accumulate at?
The epidermis and form in the outermost layer called the stratum corneum.
What happens to epidermal cells if their blood supply isn’t compromised?
They die.
How do pressure ulcers usually form?
from skin overlying bony projections (heel, hip, elbow, or shoulder.)
What does frequent changing body positions/massaging skin do?
Stimulates blood flow and can prevent pressure ulcers.
Where is the skin the thickest?
The palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Where is the skin the thinnest?
Everywhere else
Most areas.. what four layers are distinguishable?
Stratum Basale - Deepest cell layer
Stratum Spinosum
Stratum Granulosum
Stratum Corneum - fully keratinized outermost layer
Stratum Lucidum - Between the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum in the thickened skin of the palms and soles.
What do the cells of these layers do as there pushed towards the surface?
change shape
Healthy Skin
- Production of epidermal cells in stratum basale closely -balances loss of dead cells from stratum corneum.
- Doesn’t wear away
- rate of cell division increases where skin is rubbed
Psoriasis
- Chronic skin disease
- Epidermal cells divide seven times more frequent than normal.
- Excess cells accumulate, forming bright red patches
covered with silvery scales. (these are keratinized cells).
-Medications used to treat cancer are used to treat severe psoriasis. - Immune suppressing medications are used to treat chronic psoriasis.
What is the pigment that is produced by specialized cells in the epidermis called?
Melanocytes
What do melanocytes do?
These cells produce melanin from the amino acid tyrosine in organelles called Melanosomes.