Skin System Flashcards
Adipocyte
Fat cell
apocrine sweat gland
One of the large dermal exocrine glands located in the axilla and genital areas. It secretes sweat that, in action with bacteria, is responsible for human body odor.
basal layer
Deepest region of the epidermis; it gives rise to all the epidermal cells.
collagen
Structural protein found in the skin and connective tissue.
dermis
Middle layer of the skin.
eccrine sweat gland
Most numerous sweat-producing exocrine gland in the skin.
epidermis
Outermost layer of the skin.
epithelium
Layer of skin cells forming the outer and inner surfaces of the body.
integumentary system
The skin and its accessory structures such as hair and nails.
Keratin
Heart protein, material found in the epidermis, hair, and nails.
Lunula
Half moon shaped whitish area at the base of a nail
Eumelanin
Brown-black pigment
Pheomelanin
Red-yellow pigment
Paronychium
Soft tissue surrounding the nail border
Sebaceous gland
Oil secreting gland in the dermis that is associated with hair follicles 
Sebum
Oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands 
Squamous epithelium
Flat , scale like cells composing the epidermis 
Stratified
Arranged in layers
Stratum (strata plural )
A layer (of cells)
Stratum corneum
Outermost layer of the epidermis, which consists of flattened keratinized cells 
Subcutaneous layer
Innermost layer of the skin, containing fat tissue 
Cutane/o
Skin
Derm/o, Dermat/o
Skin
Diaphor/o
Profuse sweating (diaphroesis=sweating)
Anthrac/o
Black (anthracosis)
Chlor/o
Green (chlorophyll)
Cirrh/o
Tawny (orange-brown or yellow-brown)
Cirrhosis
Eosin/o
Rosy (eosinophil)
Jaund/o
Yellow (jaundice)
Lute/o
Yellow (corpus luteum)
Melan/o
Black (melanocyte)
Poli/o
Gray (poliosis)
Xanth/o
Yellow (xanthoma)
Erythem/o, Erythemat/o
Redness (erythema)
Hidr/o
Sweat (anhidrosis)
Ichthy/o
Dry, scaly (fish like). (Ichthyosis)
Kerat/o
Hard (keratosis)
Myc/o
Fungus including yeast, molds, and mushrooms. ( mycosis)
Onych/o
Nail ( onycholysis)
Phyt/o
Plant ( dermato phytosis)
Pil/o
Hair ( Pilosebaceous)
Py/o
Pus. ( Pyoderma)
Rhytid/o
Wrinkle ( Rhytidectomy)
Seb/o
Sebum. ( seborrhea)
Squam/o
Scale-like. ( squamous epithelium)
Trich/o
Hair. ( hypertrichosis)
Ungu/o
Nail. (Subungual)
Xer/o
Dry. (Xerosis)
Crust
Collection of dried serum and cellular debris. (A scab)
Cyst
Thick walled, closed sac or pouch containing fluid or semisolid material.
Erosion
Wearing away or loss of epidermis 
Fissure
Groove or crack like sore 
Macule
Flat pigmented lesion measuring less than 1 cm in diameter ( freckles, tattoo marks and flat moles) 
Patch
A large macule greater then 1 cm in diameter
Nodule
Solid round or oval elevated lesion 1 cm or more in diameter
(An enlarged lymph node) 
Papule
Small solid elevation of the skin
(Skin tag, pimples) 
Pustule
Papule containing pus. Small abscess on the skin
Vesicle
Small collection of clear fluid
(Blister) 
Bulla (plural:bullae)
A large vesicle
Wheal
Smooth, edematous (swollen ) Papule or plaque that is centrally redder then the surrounding skin
(Allergic reaction, bug bite)
Alopecia
Absence of hair from areas where it normally grows 
Alopecia areata
An autoimmune disease where the hair falls out in patches without scarring or inflammation
Ecchymosis (Pl: ecchymoses)
Blueish-purpleish mark (bruise) on skin. Caused by haemorrhages into the skin from injury or spontaneous leaking of blood from vessels. 
Petechia (pl: Petechiae)
Small pinpoint hemorrhage. Smaller version of ecchymoses
Pruritus
Itching.
Comedo or comedone
Blackhead
Acne vulgaris
Caused by the buildup of sebum and keratin in the pores of the skin
Cellulitis
Acute infection of the skin marked by local heat, redness, pain, and swelling 
Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
Inflammatory skin disease 
Atopy
Out of place, unusual
Rubella, rubeola
Measles
Varicella
Chickenpox
Erythema infectiosum
Fifth disease. Slapped cheek appearance caused by parvovirus
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease
Caused by enterovirus in children
Gangrene
Death of tissue associated with loss of blood supply 
Impetigo
Bacterial inflammatory skin disease characterized by vesicles, pustules, and crusted over lesions
caused by Staphylococci or streptococci 
Psoriasis
Chronic reoccurring dermatosis marked by itchy, scaly, red plaques, covered by silvery gray scales 
Scabies
Contagious parasitic infection of the skin with intense pruritus
Scleroderma
Chronic progressive disease of the skin and internal organs with hardening and shrinking of connective tissue 
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Chronic autoimmune, inflammatory disease of collagen and skin joints and internal organs 
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)
Photosensitive scaling plaque like eruption of the skin 
Lupus vulgaris
Cutaneous form of tuberculosis 
Tinea
Infection of the skin caused by a fungus 
Tinea corporis
Ring worm
Tinea pedis
Athletes foot
Urticaria
Hives. Acute allergic reaction in which red rounded wheals develop on the skin. 
Callus
Increase growth of cells in the keratin layer of the epidermis caused by pressure or friction 
Keloid
Excess hypertrophied thickened, scarred, developing after trauma or surgical incision. Result from excessive collagen information in the skin during connective tissue repair 
Cicatrix
Normal scar left by a healed wound
Keratosis
Thickened and rough lesion of the epidermis associated with ageing or skin damage 
Actinic keratosis
Pre-cancerous lesion caused by long-term UV exposure
Seborrheic keratosis
Benign lesion that results from overgrowth of the upper epidermis, dark in colour
Leukoplakia
White second patches on mucus membrane, tissue of the tongue or cheek. Precancerous 
Nevus (pl:nevi)
Pigmented lesion of the skin, commonly known as moles
Dysplastic nevi
Moles that have atypical cells and may progress into melanoma
Verruca (pl:Verrucae)
Epidermal growth, wart caused by a virus 
Basal cell carcinoma
Malignant tumour of the basal cell layer of the epidermis, the most common cancer in humans 
Kaposi sarcoma
Malignant vascular, neoplastic growth characterized by cutaneous nodules associated with aids

Bacterial analyses
Samples of skin are examined for presence of microorganisms 
Fungal tests
Scrapings from skin lesions, hair, specimens or nail clippings are sent to a laboratory for culture and microscopic identification of fungal infection 
Curettage
Use of a sharp dermal curette to scrape away a skin lesion 
Electrodesiccation
Tissue is destroyed by burning within an electric spark
Mohs surgery
Thin layers of malignant tissue are removed and each slice is examined microscopically to check for adequate extent of the resection 
Skin test
Substances are injected or applied to the skin. Used to diagnose allergies and disease 
ABCDE
Asymmetry, border, color, diameter, evolution characteristics associated with melanoma 
PPD
Purified protein derivative used in skin tests for tuberculosis
BCC
Basal cell carcinoma
PUVA
Psoralen-ultraviolet A light therapy. Treatment for psoriasis and other skin conditions. 
Bx
Biopsy
DLE
discoid lupus erythematosus
SCC
squamous cell carcinoma
SLE
Systemic lupus erythematosus
subQ
Subcutaneous
Candidiasis
Fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of a type of yeast that lives on your body
Cellulitis
A deep infection of the skin caused by bacteria 
Mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T cell lymphoma)
Disease in which lymphocytes become malignant and affect the skin
Allergic reaction in which red round wheals develop on the skin 
Urticaria
Hard protein material found in the epidermis
Keratin
Burn, burning
Caus/o, Cauter/o
Burn, burning
Caus/o, Cauter/o
Pertaining to under the nail
Subungual
Scaly
-ichthy/o, squam/o
Profuse sweating
Diaphoresis
Outermost layer of skin
Epidermis
Condition in which connective tissue in the skin hardens and shrinks
Scleroderma
Dry
Ichty/o, xer/o
Collection of dried serum and cellular debris
Crust
Fungal infection of the skin
Dermatophytosis
A type of epithelial cell in the epidermis
Squamous cell
Death of tissue associated with loss of blood supply
Gangrene
Thick wall closed sack containing fluid or semi-solid material
Cyst
Excessive development of hard keratinized tissue
Keratosis
Dry skin
Xeroderma
A structural protein found in skin and connective tissue
Collagen 
Contagious parasitic infection of the skin with intense prutitus
Scabies
The skin and its accessory structures such as hair and nails
Integumentary system
Hard
Kerat/o
The outermost layer of the epidermis consisting of flattened keratinized cells
Stratum corneum
Open sore on the skin or mucous membranes
Ulcer
Middle layer of skin, composed of blood vessels, lymph, nerve fibers, and accessory organs
Dermis
Fat cell found in subcutaneous layer of the skin
Adipocyte
Pigmented lesion of the skin
Nevus, nevi
Malignant tumour of the basil cell layer of the epidermis
Basal cell carcinoma
Pigment found in the epidermal layer of skin
Melanin
Pigment found in the epidermal layer of skin
Melanin
Epidermal growth caused by a virus, wart
Verruca
Inflammatory skin disease with erythematous, pustular,or papular lesions 
Eczema
Pertaining to redness of the skin
Erythematous
Hair
Pil/o , trich/o
Second rough lesions of the epidermis associated with skin damage or ageing
Keratosis
Dry/scaly
Ichthy/o
Malignant tumour of pigmented skin cell
Melanoma
Pressure sores over a boney body part from lying in one position, bed sores
Decubitus ulcer
Smooth edematous reddish, papule or plaque that is centrally redder than surrounding skin, welt 
Wheal
Fat
Adip/o, lip/o, steat/o
Inflammatory disease of the joints and collagen of the skin with butterfly rash, can affect other body organs
Systemic lupus erythromatosus (SLE)
Pertaining to under the skin
Hypodermal, subcutaneous 
Cell in the basal layer of skin that produces melanin
Melanocyte
Cell in the basal layer of skin that produces melanin
Melanocyte
Groove or crack like sore
Fissure
Groove or crack like sore
Fissure
Moles that can develop into malignant melanoma
Dysplastic Nevi
Tumor, mass
-oma
Oil producing organs found in the dermal layer of skin
Sebaceous glands
Malignant tumour of the squamous epithelial cells in the epidermis
Fungus
Abnormal condition of lack of sweat
Anhidrosis
Destruction of tissue using intensely cold temperatures
Cryosurgery
Puss within the skin
Pyoderma 
Wearing away or loss of epidermidis
Erosion
Puss filled 
Purulent
Fat cell in the subcutaneous layer of skin
Adipocyte
Abnormal condition of nail fungus
Onychomycosis
Sweat
Diaphor/o, hidr/o
Water
Aque/o, hydr/o
Small abscess, Papule containing pus
Pustule
Cancer associated with aids, producing purpleish skin nodules
Kaposi sarcoma
Soft yellow nodule on eyelids due to excess lipid deposits
Xanthoma
Soft yellow nodule on eyelids due to excess lipid deposits
Xanthoma
Chronic reoccurring dermatosis marked by silvery gray scales, covering red patches on the skin
Psoriasis
Itching
Pruritus
A layer of cells
Stratum
Oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands on the skin
Sebum
Pertaining to hair follicles and oil secretion glands
Pilosebaceous
Deepest region of the epidermis
Basal layer
Loosening of the epidermis
Epidermolysis
Decrease in the size of a normal developed organ or tissue of the body wasting away
Atrophy
Blue purple mark on the skin, bruises
Ecchymosis
Thickened scar 
Keloid
Buildup of sebum in skin pores leading to popular and pustular eruptions
Acne
Small pinpoint haemorrhages
Petechiae
Inflammation of the skin with excessive secretion from sebaceous glands
Seborrheic dermatitis
Nail
Onych/o, ungu/o
Flat scale like cells
Squamous epithelium
Surgical procedure to scrape away
Dermabrasion
Inflammation of the soft tissue around a nail
Paronychia
Increase in the size of tissue or organ due to increase in the size of individual cells
Hypertrophy
Small collection of clear fluid, small blister
Vesicle
Elevated flat patch on the skin
Plaque
A type of dermatophytosis
Tinea
Soft tissue surrounding the nail border
Paronychium
Arranged in layers
Stratified
Tiny coiled exocrine glands that perspire
Sweat glands
Protein that is elastic and helps skin retain its shape
Elastin
Loosening of the nail plate with separation from the nail bed
Onycholysis
