Integumentary System Flashcards
The proper name for what most people just call “the skin.”
Integument or Cutaneous Membrane
List the three main layers of the skin from most superficial to deepest.
Epidermis
Dermis
Hypodermis / Subcutaneous Layer
List the sub-layers of the epidermis in order from most superficial to deepest.
Hint: BS Grows Lots of Corn
Stratum Corneum
Stratum Lucidum
Stratum Granulosum
Stratum Spinosum
Stratum Basale
List the sub-layers of the dermis in order from most superficial to deepest.
Stratum Papillarosum
Stratum Reticulosum
List the sub-layers of the hypodermis in order from most superficial to deepest.
There aren’t any sublayers of the hypodermis!
Which epidermal layer is only present in the palms and soles?
Stratum Lucidum
Which epidermal layer conducts mitosis?
Stratum Basale
Which epidermal layer is the thickest?
Stratum Corneum
Which epidermal layer has cells completely filled with keratin?
Stratum Corneum
Which epidermal layer looks spotted?
Stratum Granulosum
Which epidermal layer has cells with narrow extensions formed by keratin fibers pushing outward against the cell membranes?
Stratum Spinosum
Which epidermal layer is clear?
Stratum Lucidum
Which epidermal layer is waterproof?
Stratum Corneum
Which epidermal layer is made of dead cells?
Stratum Corneum
Which epidermal layer is attached to connective tissue with a basement membrane?
Stratum Basale
Which layer of the skin is made of connective tissue?
Dermis
Which dermal layer is criss-crossed with collageanous and elastic fibers?
Stratum Reticulosum
Which dermal layer is named for the little bumps that rise into the epidermis above it?
Stratum Papillarosum
Which layer of the skin is made of epithelial tissue?
Epidermis
Which kind of epithelial tissue makes up the epidermis?
Stratified Squamous
Which layer of the skin contains the most accessory organs?
Dermis
List several types of accessory organs found in the skin.
Hair, sweat glands, oil glands, touch receptors, blood vessels.
Which layer of the skin has the most adipose tissue?
Hypodermis
Which layer of skin changes thickness as people gain and lose weight?
Hypodermis
Which layer of the skin is normally the thickest?
Dermis
Name the four cell types of the epidermis.
Keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, Merkel’s cells.
Which of the epidermal cells makes pigment for the skin?
Melanocytes
Which of the epidermal cells is involved with the sense of touch?
Merkel’s Cells
Which of the epidermal cells is the most common?
Keratinocytes
Which of the epidermal cells is part of the immune system?
Langerhans Cells
Which of the epidermal cells changes from cuboidal to squamous as it ages?
Keratinocytes
Which of the epidermal cells produces melanin?
Melanocytes
Which of the epidermal cells produces keratin?
Keratinocytes
Name the two processes that occur in the epidermis, and name the layers where they occur.
Mitosis in the stratum basale and keratinization in all the other layers.
Describe the process of keratinization.
Keratinocytes produce the protein keratin. As the cells age, they are pushed superficially, away from the stratum basale, and they gradually fill up with keratin. Eventually the cells flatten into a squamous shape, become completely filled with keratin, and die. These dead cells compose the stratum corneum, and will fall off the skin to become dust, soil, or food for microorganisms.
Describe desmosomes.
Desmosomes are conections between cells that hold cells together in areas that undergo stress, like the skin and cardiac muscle. Proteins connected to each cell stretch across the intercellular space, holding the cells together. Parts of the cytoskeleton inside of each cell also attach to the desmosome.
Which epidermal layer has many desmosomes holding the cells together?
Stratum Spinosum
Which dermal layer forms our fingerprints?
Stratum Papillarosum