Integumentary System - Skin & Nails Review (9/22)

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to the integumentary system, including differences between thick and thin skin, nail anatomy, and skin functions like thermal regulation and protection.

Hyponychium

The skin that holds down the nail, securing it to the fingertip.

Eponychium

Also known as the cuticle, it is the stratum corneum that holds down the nail to the nail plate at the proximal end.

Thick Skin

Skin type characterized by the presence of the stratum lucidum and thicker layers of stratum spinosum and corneum; found on the palms of hands and soles of feet.

Thin Skin

Skin type that lacks the stratum lucidum and has thinner layers of stratum spinosum and corneum; covers most of the body except palms and soles.

Epidermal Ridges

Structures that form fingerprints, present in thick skin and absent in thin skin.

Hair Follicles

Structures responsible for hair growth, present in thin skin and absent in thick skin (e.g., palms).

Sebaceous Glands (Oil Glands)

Glands that produce sebum, connected to hair follicles, present in thin skin and absent in thick skin.

Sudoriferous Glands (Sweat Glands)

Glands responsible for producing sweat; more numerous in thick skin (e.g., palms) for thermal regulation.

Sensory Receptors (Skin)

Nerves that detect touch, temperature, and other sensations, found more densely in thick skin (palms, soles).

Thermal Regulation (Skin Function)

The skin's ability to maintain a stable body temperature through processes like sweating and adjusting blood flow.

Eccrine Sweat Glands

A type of sudoriferous gland that secretes watery sweat for cooling the body through evaporation when warm.

Vasodilation (Dermis)

The widening of blood vessels in the dermis when the body is warm, increasing blood flow to the surface to release heat.

Vasoconstriction (Dermis)

The narrowing of blood vessels in the dermis when the body is cold, decreasing blood flow to the surface to conserve heat.

Reservoir for Blood (Skin Function)

The ability of the dermis to hold a significant and variable amount of blood within its extensive network of blood vessels.

Keratin (Skin Protection)

Strong proteins, produced by cells in the stratum spinosum and filling cells in the stratum lucidum and corneum, providing physical protection against abrasion.

Lamellar Granules

Structures found in the stratum granulosum that produce lipids, making the skin waterproof and preventing dehydration.

Sebum

An oily substance produced by sebaceous glands that makes the skin waterproof, reduces water loss, and helps prevent microbial growth.