The integumentary system Flashcards
What is the integumentary system?
The skin system, sensory nerves & accessory organs:
- hairs
- nails
- cutaneous glands (sweat, sebaceous mammary)
What % does the largest organ in the body (skin) make up of the total body weight?
12-15%
What is the use of skin?
- barrier to external
- insight to internal health
How does the integumentary system provide an insight into internal health?
shows blue veins if the heart isn’t pumping hard enough
What are the 2 structures of the skin?
- Epidermis (uppermost) epithelia layer
- dermis
What is thicker - dermis or epidermis?
dermis
How thick is the dermis?
0.2mm - 2mm
What do fibroblasts produce?
ECM (extracellular matrix) - mainly collagen
What are the 2 layers of the ECM (extracellular matrix)?
- papillary layer
- reticular layer
What is in the papillary layer?
thin loose connective tissue region (areolar) - mobility of leukocytes, mast & macrophage cells.
What is the function of the papillary layers?
Mobility of leukocytes, mast & macrophage cells.
What is in the reticular layer?
thick dense irregular connective tissue layer - less cells + adipocyte clusters
Which has more cells the papillary layer or reticular layer?
papillary layer
What type of clusters can be found in the reticular layer?
Adipocyte clusters
What are the accessory organs of the integumentary system?
Hair, nails, oil + sweat glands
What is the use of having a rich layer of blood & lymphatic vessels, including arteriovenous anastomoses in the accessory organs?
thermoregulation
What does the dermal (epidermal boundary look like)?
‘wavy’ boundary of finger-like projections increasing connection (interdigitation)
What do dermal papillae create?
raised areas - e.g. fingerprint
What facilities nerve fibres reaching close to the surface in highly sensitive areas?
Tall dermal papillae
What type of epithelium is found in the epidermis?
Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium
Describe the protein content in the upper layers of the epidermis
there is a high protein content in the upper layers of the epidermis
Describe the layers of the epidermis (top to bottom)
stratum corneum
stratum lucidum (translucent)
stratum granulosum
stratum spinosum
stratum basale
stratified
What are the 2 skin types?
- Thick skin
- Thin skin
Describe what thick skin can be found
- Palms (fingertips)
- Feet - no hair (glabrous)
How many layers (strata) does thick skin have?
5
Where is thin skin found?
the rest of the body (non-glabrous - areas with hair)
How many layers does thin skin?
4
Describe how many blood vessels are found in thin skin?
Lacks blood vessels - diffusion from underlying connective tissue
What is another name given to the stratum basale?
germinativum
What are the 3 type of cells found in the stratum basale?
- keratinocytes (most prevalent)
- melanocytes
- tactile/Merkel cells
What is the role of keratinocytes?
they are mitotically active in touch with BM (stem cells)
what is the role of melanocytes?
gives skin colour - pheomelanin/eumelanin - brown insoluble pigment
- protects skin from UV damage
What is the role of tactile/Merkel cells?
connected to sensory nerves (sense of touch)
What colour pigment is pheomelanin?
red/yellow pigment