Integumentary System Flashcards
What is the purpose of the integument?
- Protect the body from
environmental injuries - Help regulate body temperature
- Serve as sensory organs
- Facilitate the synthesis of Vitamin D
What two layers compose the skin?
Epidermis & Dermis
Epidermis
The outermost layer of the skin
Dermis
Lies below the epidermis
Stratum Corneum
An outer layer of dead skin cells contained in epidermis
Keratin
A tough protective protein formed by the stratum corneum
Subcutaneous Tissue
The layer of skin attached to muscle and bone composed of connective tissue and fat cells
What does the dermis consist of?
Connective tissue, elastic fibers, blood vessels, sensory and motor nerves, sweat and sebaceous (oil) glands and hair follicles (roots)
Melanin
A pigment manufactured by melanocytes located in the epidermis; determine the color of the skin
Callus
A thick layer of epidermal cells which form in response to recurring friction on an area of skin
What are the four methods in which heat is lost?
Radiation, conduction, evaporation and convection
Radiation
The transfer of surface heat in the environment
Conduction
Transfer of heat through contact (like placing a cool cloth on warm skin)
Evaporation
The loss of moisture or water
Convection
The transfer of heat by means of currents of liquids or gases in which warm air molecules move away from the body
What are the three types of sensory nerve endings in the skin?
- Mechanoreceptors
- Thermoreceptors
- Nociceptors
Mechanoreceptors
Detect touch, location, pressure, motion, vibration, size and texture
Thermoreceptors
Perceive sensations of heat and cold
Nociceptors
Sense and transmit the location of pain stimuli
7-dehydrocholesterol
A chemical substance formed by the skin which facilitates the synthesis of vitamin D when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light
Vellus hair
Has a wooly or wispy texture
Terminal hair
A coarser variety of hair that develops at puberty under the influence of androgen in the axillae, pubic region, face in men, arms, chest and legs
What are the two types of hair?
Vellus and Terminal
What are the three types of melanin?
Brown, black and yellow
Sebaceous Glands
Connected to each hair follicle and secrete an oily substance called sebum
Sebum
A lubricant that prevents drying and cracking of the skin and hair
What are the two types of sweat glands?
Eccrine and Apocrine
Eccrine Glands
Release water and electrolytes, such as sodium chloride, in the form of perspiration
Apocrine Glands
Found around the nipples, in the anogenital region, in the eyelids (Moll’s glands), in the mammary glands of the breast and in the external ear canals
Pallor
Pale, regardless of race
possible causes: anemia, blood loss
Erythema
Red
possible cause: superficial burns, local inflammation, carbon monoxide poisoning
Flushed
Pink
possible cause: fever, hypertension
Ecchymosis
Purple
possible cause: trauma to soft tissue
Cyanosis
Blue
possible cause: low tissue oxygenation
Jaundice
Yellow
possible cause: liver or kidney disease, destruction of red blood cells
Tan
Brown
possible cause: racial variation, sun exposure, pregnancy, Addison disease
Macule
Flat, round, colored (freckles, rash)
Papule
Elevated, obvious raised border, solid (Wart)
Vesicle
Elevated, round, filled with serum (Blister)
Wheal
Elevated, irregular border, no free fluid (Hives)
Pustule
Elevated, raised border, filled with pus (Boil)
Nodule
Elevated solid mass, extends into deeper tissue (enlarged lymph node)
Cyst
Encapsulated, round, fluid-filled or solid mass beneath the skin (Tissue growth)
Stage I Pressure Injury
Characterized by redness of intact skin; non-blanchable; DO NOT MASSAGE
Stage II Pressure Injury
Red and accompanied by blistering or a shallow break in the skin, sometimes described as a skin tear; partial thickness loss of skinwith exposed dermis
Stage III Pressure Injury
