Skin and Its Tissues

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to skin and its tissues.

Skin

The largest organ in the body by weight, also known as the cutaneous membrane.

Integumentary system

The system that includes the skin and its accessory structures such as hair, nails, and glands.

Epidermis

The outer layer of skin, consisting of stratified squamous epithelium.

Dermis

The inner layer of skin, which is thicker than the epidermis and composed of connective tissue.

Keratinization

The process by which epidermal cells harden, dehydrate, and accumulate keratin as they migrate outward.

Melanin

A dark pigment produced by melanocytes in the stratum basale that protects against UV light.

Papillary layer

The superficial layer of the dermis made of areolar connective tissue.

Sebaceous glands

Holocrine glands associated with hair follicles that produce sebum to keep hair and skin soft.

Sweat glands

Also known as sudoriferous glands; they include eccrine and apocrine glands and help regulate body temperature.

Hyperthermia

An abnormally high body temperature that can occur due to heat exposure and insufficient evaporation of sweat.

Hypothermia

An abnormally low body temperature that results from prolonged exposure to cold.

Stratum corneum

The outermost layer of the epidermis, composed of dead, keratinized cells.

Stratum basale

The deepest layer of the epidermis, where cell division occurs and melanocytes are located.

Thermoregulation

The process by which the body maintains its core internal temperature.

Arrector pili muscle

Small muscles attached to hair follicles that contract to cause goosebumps.