Skin Accessory Structures

Flashcards covering vocabulary related to skin accessory structures, including hair, various glands, and nails.

Skin accessory structures

Hair, glands, and nails.

Hair shaft

The visible part of the hair that extends beyond the skin surface.

Hair root

The part of the hair embedded in the skin, extending into the dermis or hypodermis.

Hair follicle

A sac-like invagination of the epidermis that encloses the hair root.

Arrector muscle of hair

A small muscle attached to the hair follicle that contracts to cause goosebumps.

Hair bulb

The enlarged, onion-shaped structure at the base of the hair follicle where hair growth originates.

Sweat gland

A gland in the skin that produces perspiration for temperature regulation and waste excretion.

Eccrine sweat gland

The most abundant type of sweat gland, producing watery sweat for thermoregulation.

Apocrine sweat gland

A type of sweat gland found in the armpits and groin, producing a thicker secretion that contains pheromones.

Sebaceous gland

A gland in the skin that produces and secretes sebum, an oily substance.

Sebum

An oily substance produced by sebaceous glands that lubricates skin and hair, and helps prevent water loss.

Ceruminous gland

A specialized gland in the ear canal that produces cerumen (earwax).

Cerumen

Earwax, produced by ceruminous glands, which helps to lubricate and protect the ear canal.

Nail body

The visible attached portion of the nail, covering the nail bed.

Nail root

The part of the nail embedded in the skin at the base of the nail.

Lunula

The pale, moon-shaped area at the base of the nail, visible near the cuticle.

Cuticle

A fold of skin at the base of the nail that protects the nail matrix.