Integumentary System

Integumentary System

The system comprised of the skin and its derivatives, including nails, hair, sweat glands, and sebaceous oil glands.

Integument

Skin; the largest organ

Dermatology

The scientific study and treatment of the integumentary system

Cutaneous Membrane

Another name for the integument.

Organ

A structure composed of two or more tissues that work together to complete a specific function.

Epithelial Tissue

The surface of the skin is made up of ____________ tissue. This also includes the glands of the skin.

Connective Tissue

The tissue deep to the epithelium that provides strength and resilience to the integument.

Muscles

This tissue makes up the arrector pili connected to hair follicles.

Nervous Tissue

The tissue that detects and monitors sensory stimuli, providing information about touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.

Epidermis

The epithelium layer of the integument. It is a keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium.

Living; dead

The bottom three layers of the epidermis are made of __________ cells and the upper two layers of the epidermis are made of _________ cells

Stratum Basale

The deepest epidermal layer made of a single layer of cuboidal to low columnar cells that are tightly attached by hemidesmosomes to an underlying basement membrane. Contains keratinocyte stem cells, melanocytes, and tactile cells.

Keratinocytes

The most abundant cell type in the epidermis that are found throughout the epidermal strata.

Keratin

A protein that strengthens the epidermis; a fibrous protein. Called cytokeratin in the epidermis.

Melanocytes

Cells that have long branching processes and produce and store melanin to protect from UV light.

Melanin

The pigment that protects our skin from UV light.

Melanosomes

Vesicle-like organelles produced by melanocytes and are incorporated into keratinocytes.

Tactile Cells

Specialized sensory receptors that are sensitive to touch and are found in the stratum Basale.

Stratum Spinosum

The layer of the epidermis made of several layers of polygonal keratinocytes. The cells are attached to each other by desmosomes. Also contains epidermal dendritic cells.

Epidermal Dendritic Cells

Immune cells that are present in the stratum spinosum. They are phagocytic and protect against pathogens.

Stratum Granulosum

The layer of the epidermis that is comprised of three to five layers of keratinocytes that are undergoing keratinization and aggregating with keratin.

Keratinization

A process during which keratinocytes fill with the protein keratin. The cells become thinner and flatter, membranes thicken, and the nuclei and organelles disintegrate.

Stratum Lucidum

A thin translucent layer of the epidermis that is found only in the thick skin. Cells are filled with the translucent protein eleidin.

Stratum Corneum

The outer layer of the epidermis. It consists of about 20 to 30 layers of dead, scaly keratinized cells that are anucleate.