Integumentary System Lecture Outline

Vocabulary flashcards detailing key terms, definitions, functions, and mechanisms from the Integumentary System lecture notes.

Integumentary System

The body system consisting of the skin and accessory structures, such as hair, glands, and nails.

Integument

A word meaning covering.

Melanin

A pigment in skin that absorbs ultraviolet light and protects underlying structures from its damaging effects.

Cutis Anserina

The medical term for goosebumps, which occur when tiny muscles in the skin contract to lift up the skin and hair.

Skin Sensory Receptors

Receptors in the epidermis and dermis that detect pain, heat, cold, and pressure, as well as receptors around hair follicles that detect hair movement.

Hair Protection

Protective functions where head hair acts as a heat insulator, eyebrows keep sweat out of eyes, eyelashes protect from foreign objects, and nose/ear hair prevents dust entry.

Nails

Structures that protect the ends of the fingers and toes from damage and can be used in defense.

Vitamin D Conversion Pathway

The sequence where UV light forms a precursor molecule in the skin, which is carried by blood to the liver and then to the kidneys to be converted into the active form of vitamin D.

Active Vitamin D Function

Stimulates the small intestine to absorb calcium and phosphate for many body functions.