Integumentary System Overview

Integumentary System Overview

• The integumentary system comprises the skin and its accessory structures.
• Learning objectives include identifying skin structures, functions, and pathological conditions. Clinical procedures and vocabulary associated with the system are also included.

Structure and Function

• The integumentary system consists of the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue.
• Epidermis comprises five layers of plate-like cells (keratin). These layers include stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale. This layer replaces itself every 14-28 days.
• Dermis is the inner layer of skin, composed mainly of connective tissue, with blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, and nerve endings.
• Hypodermis, or subcutaneous tissue, lies just below the dermis, primarily composed of adipose tissue. This tissue acts as a shock absorber.

Skin Appendages

• Nails: Protect from physical trauma, heat loss, sunburn, and sense insects.
• Hair: Appendage of skin.
• Sweat glands: Produce sweat to regulate body temperature. Releases water and salts to cool the body.
• Sebaceous glands: Connected to hair follicles. Most numerous on hair and face, responsible for protecting hair from drying out via sebum (oil) production.

Functions of the Skin

• Regulating body temperature.
• Producing Vitamin D.
• Protection from chemical and physical injury.
• Excretion of nitrogenous wastes.
• Sensation (pain, cold, heat, touch, and pressure).

Surgical Processes of the Skin

• Biopsy: Removing tissue for examination.
• Cautery: Tissue destruction using electricity.
• Debridement: Removal of contaminated or devitalized tissue.
• Dermabrasion: Skin planing using mechanical means (e.g., sandpaper or wire brushes).
• Dermatome: Instrument for cutting thin skin slices.
• Electrodesiccation: Tissue destruction by dehydration with high-frequency electric current.
• Escharotomy: Removing burn scar tissue.
• Fulguration: Destruction of living tissue via electric sparks.

Skin Grafts and Tools

• Graft: Tissue or organ for transplantation (e.g., skin to replace lost portions).
• Hyfracator: Machine for destroying tissue (high-frequency eradicators).

Skin Growths

• Carcinoma: Malignant new growth of epithelial cells.
• Keratosis: Horny growth (e.g., wart, callosity).
• Nevus: Mole or birthmark.
• Steatoma: Fatty mass within a sebaceous gland or cyst.
• Verruca: Wart caused by viruses (e.g., plantar wart).

Skin Cancer

• Basal cell carcinoma: Least malignant and most common skin cancer.
• Melanoma: Most dangerous skin cancer.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Cauliflower-like growth.

Biological Agents and Infections

• Bacteria: (e.g., acne vulgaris).
• Viral: (e.g., herpes simplex, herpes zoster).
• Fungal: (tinea unguium, tinea corporis, etc.)
• Parasites: (e.g., lice, crabs, scabies).

Allergy and Skin

• Eczema: Redness in skin caused by substances (e.g., food).
• Neurodermatitis: Itching related to emotional causes or psychological factors.
• Psoriasis: Chronic, hereditary skin condition with silvery scales.
• Diabetes mellitus, and erysipelas: Conditions causing skin lesions.

Skin Tests

• Coccidioid in: Testing for Valley Fever.
• Mantoux/PPD: Testing for Tuberculosis (TB).
• Dick Test: Testing susceptibility to scarlet fever.
• Schick test: Testing for diphtheria.
• Sweat tests: Testing for cystic fibrosis.

Types of Skin Lesions

• Provides descriptions and visual representations of various skin lesions (e.g., bulla, macule, nodule, patch, papule, plaque, pustule, vesicle, wheal, scale, crust, etc.)

Vocabulary

• Definitions for various terms relevant to skin conditions, including but not limited to; actinic, albinism, alopecia, bulla, burn, callus, cicatrix, cyst, dermatology, etc., and more.

Explore the integumentary system, including the skin's structure and functions. This quiz covers the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, and associated skin appendages. Learn about clinical procedures and vocabulary related to skin conditions as well.