PBL Flashcards
What are the three broad functions of the skin?
- Protection
- Regulation
- Sensation
What can the skin protect against? (5)
- Mechanical impacts
- Pressure
- Variations in temperature
- Micro-organisms
- Radiation/chemicals
How is the skin involved in physiological regulation?
- Body temperature via sweat and hair
- Changes in peripheral circulation
- Fluid balance via sweat (minor role)
- Synthesis of vitamin D
How does the skin detect sensation?
A network of nerve cells that detect and relay changes in environment e.g. heat, cold, touch, pain
What are the layers of the skin?
- Epidermis
- Dermis
- Hypodermis/subcutis
What are the layers of the epidermis?
- Stratum basale
- Stratum spinosum
- Stratum granulosum
- Stratum lucidum (palm of hands and soles of feet)
- Stratum corneum
List the cell types found in the epidermis of the skin.
- Keratinocytes
- Melanocytes
- Merkel cells
- Langerhan cells
What two types of fibres are found in the dermis of the skin?
- Collagen (mainly type I)
2. Elastin
List some of the cells found in the dermis of the skin.
- Fibroblasts
- Lymphocytes
- Dermal dendritic cells
- Mast cells
What are the two sub layers of the dermis of the skin?
- Papillary layer
2. Reticular layer
What type of tissue is found in the papillary region of the dermis?
Areolar connective tissue
What structures can be found in the papillary region of the dermis?
- Capillaries
2. Meissner’s corpuscles
What are Meissner’s corpuscles?
Tactile receptors
What type of tissue is found in the reticular region of the dermis?
Dense, connective tissue containing thick bundles of collagen fibres
What type of tissue is the hypodermis/subcutis?
Connective tissue
What is found in the hypodermis/subcutis?
Mostly adipose tissue, some vasculature and sensory receptors.
Where are melanocytes found and what do they produce?
Found in stratum basale and produce melanin and tyrosinase.
What does tyrosinase do?
Converts tyrosine to melanin
Where in melanocytes is melanin produced?
Melanosome
State the functions of melanin.
- Protect skin and underlying tissue from UV radiation
2. Create skin colour
Why does increased exposure to sunlight produce a darker skin colour?
Enzymatic activity in the melanosome increases in response to exposure to UV radiation, hence increased melanin production, increased pigments, darker skin colour.
Where are keratinocytes found?
Throughout the epidermis as keratinised stratified squamous epithelium.
What is the function of keratinocytes?
- Produce keratin - protection/barrier function
- Produce lamellar granules - waterproof function
- Vitamin D production
Why do melanocytes have protrusions?
To transfer melanin granules to the keratinocytes
How do melanin granules protect keratinocytes from UV radiation?
They surround the external side of the keratinocyte nucleus.
Where are Merkel cells found?
In the epidermis, mainly in stratum basale.
What is the function of Merkel cells?
Detect sensation
Where are Langerhan cells found?
- Epidermis - mostly in stratum spinosum
2. Upper dermal layer
What is the function of Langerhan’s cells?
- Recognise foreign microbes
- Engulf and destroy them
- Antigen presentation
Where do Langerhan’s cells originate?
In bone marrow
Where are the epithelial stem cells of the skin found?
Stratum basale
What is the function of the epithelial stem cells?
Self renewal and repopulation of epidermal layers.
Describe the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis.
- Anuclear, no organelles
- Keratinised
- 20-30 layers
- Glycolipid present
What is the purpose of the glycolipids in the stratum corneum?
Help waterproof the skin and prevent water loss
What is a function of the stratum corneum?
- Resist friction
2. Protect other layers from physical damage
Describe the stratum lucidum.
- 3-5 layers
- Flat, dead keratinocytes
- Cells appear clear
- Thickened plasma membranes
Describe the stratum granulosum.
- 3-5 layers
- Mature keratinocytes
- Produce keratohyalin and lamellar granules
Why do keratinocytes of the stratum granulosum start to die?
They are moving further away from blood supply and nutrition
What do lamellar granules contain?
Water resistant glycolipids which stick cells together.
Describe the stratum spinosum.
- 8-10 layers
- Living keratinocytes
- Joined together by desmosomes
Describe the stratum basale.
- Single layer
- Cuboidal epithelium
- Sits on basement membrane
As cells in the stratum spinosum are alive, what structural feature is important for communication?
Desmosomes
What is the function of the stratum basale?
To regenerate the other layers by constant cell division
How does self renewal of the epidermis occur?
- Dead keratinocytes of the stratum corneum slough off
- Stem cells in stratum basale start to replicate and differentiate
- Cells move up from stratum basale to stratum corneum
- Process takes about 4 weeks/a month
Describe the keratinisation at each epidermal layer.
- Stratum basale - scattered tonofilaments
- Stratum spinosum - tonofibrils
- Stratum granulosum - keratohyalin granules
- Stratum corneum - keratin
List some functions of the dermis.
- Immune role
- Blood supply
- Tensile strength (from collagen)
- Allows stretch (elastin fibres)
List some functions of the dermis-epidermal junction.
- Attachment of epidermis to dermis (basement membrane in between)
- Align cells of epidermis
- Base for re-epithelialisation in wound healing
- Barrier/regulation function (into and out of epidermis)