The integumentary system is responsible for maintaining the homeostasis in your body and enables your senses. Not only does is the integumentary system essential for sustaining life, it includes the largest organ of the human body: the skin. Other structures like hair, nails, glands, and sensory receptors are incorporated into the system as well.
Thermoregulation, the regulation of body temperature, is vital for human life. The body must maintain a temperature of 98.6 degrees fahrenheit to operate. The skin plays a major part in the regulation process by releasing sweat at the surface and alter the flow of blood in the dermis, a subsection of the skin. Wounds allow the body to set off a sequence of events which repairs the skin to its normal structure and function. Epidermal wounds which include abrasions, heal by migrating until contact inhibition occurs. Deep wound healing is more complex because it affects multiple tissue layers which causes scar tissue formation during the healing process. Deep wound healing occurs in four phases which include, inflammatory phase, migratory phase, proliferative phase, and the maturation phase. During step one, blood clotting forms at the site. During the next step of the deep healing process, the clotting scabs and epithelial cells migrate under scab to bridge the wound. The proliferative phase is the “growth” phase in which collagen fibers are continually sent to aid in the regrowth of the epithelial cells as well as the blood vessels. The final phase includes the shedding of scab once the epidermis reaches normal thickness and everything is restored. Occasionally during deep wound healing, the tissue may lose some of its functions.
The skin is the largest organ in the human b...
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...des, cholesterol, proteins, and inorganic salts. The sudoriferous gland is referred to as the sweat gland. There are three to four million found throughout the body. The cells of these glands release perspiration into hair follicles or onto the skin surface through pores. The sweat gland is divided into two main types. The eccrine sweat gland is one and apocrine gland is the other. Ceruminous glands are modifies glands located on the external parts of the ear. This gland secretes a waxy lubricating substance.
The skin and all its components and accessory structures work together to maintain homeostasis within the body. If the human body lacked any of these essential systems, the body’s thermoregulation would lose its balance and the body would begin to shut down. Without the integumentary system, the human body would not be able to sustain life or growth.
To begin we will look at the integumentary system and its entire multitude of functions. The main components of the integumentary system are the skin, hair, nails, glands and nerves. For the purpose of this paper we will focus mainly on the levels of the skin and their functions. While the integumentary
When microdermabrasion removes the outer layer of skin the body then goes into a healing mode that promotes the making of new healthier cells. Microdermabrasion is like when one sustains an injury to his skin and the body sends treatment molecules to heal the damage. Mariane Fernandes conducted an experiment with the aim to evaluate the effects of microdermabrasion on skin rejuvenation. Fernandes stated in her article “Effects of microdermabrasion on skin rejuvenation” in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy that “Microdermabrasion treatment promoted skin rejuvenation through an increase in skin thickness due to an increase in epidermal thickness and collagen organization” (Fernandes 26). Acne weakens and thins the skin epidermal layers, causing acne scars. Microdermabrasion heals the weak, thin, and fragile skin, which makes the skin smooth and more resistant to other damaging conditions. Doctor Bruce M. Freedman an aesthetic plastic surgeon and assistant professor of plastic surgery at Georgetown University also analyzed the dermatological changes associated with microdermabrasion in “Clinical and histologic changes determine optimal treatment regimens for microdermabrasion” in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment. Freedman’s experiment also yielded results of an increase of epidermal thickness
The best way to treat a severe burn is for it to be cleaned and covered in a critical amount of time. Many types of coverings can be used to get the job done. Currently, surgeons agree that the patients own skin is the best form of covering the burn wound. By taking skin from another body part, the burn wound can be covered with the transplanted skin. This process is called auto grafting. Auto grafting can't be done for those patients who have burns covering the majority of their bodies. So, there has to be another way for covering their burns. An additional possibility is called an all graft, the process when the burn is covered with cadaver skin. Cadaver skin is sometimes in short supply so animal skin might be used in place of it. The use of animal skin or Xenografting is sometimes avoided because the patient's immune system could reject the skin and have to be removed.
Our skin functions as a daily defense for our bodies against disease because of skin and mucous membranes. The skin is a massive organ and it protects everything inside our bodies such as our muscles, bones and organs. Our skin protects us from bacteria, parasites, viruses and pathogens ...
If homeostasis is not maintained it will result in illness disease and even death, as without each functional part of the body working efficiently together, the body cannot operate at a sufficient level to maintain survival.
For example, water loss abrasion from outside. The system covers the skin and its appendages. Its main function is to act as an impediment to shield the body from the outside world. It also functions to possess body fluids, protect against disease, oust waste products.
The skin is the largest organ in the body, covering the bones and internal organs, protecting them from injuries, it serves as a barrier to germs, and bacteria and helps to prevent fluid loss. The skin helps to control the body’s temperature and also aids in removing certain body wastes, therefore making it a vital organ just as any other organ such as the heart or brain.
and support, allows us to manipulate our surroundings and - due to its high metabolic activity - produces heat.” (study.com-Dec 2014)
All the systems in the human body work together to maintain homeostasis and normal body function. The five major systems are the digestive, circulatory, respiratory, transportation and excretory systems. These systems are then, in turn made of organs, tissue and cells. All the systems are interrelated therefore if one system fails then it impacts the others.
The integumentary system is composed of the skin and the structures related to the skin, which include the hair, the finger nails, the sensory receptors and the glands (Shier, Butler, & Lewis, 2009). This system has an important function since it provides protection to the body, helps to maintain body temperature, and contains sensory receptors (p.117). The skin has essential function such as regulating homeostasis and body temperature, also delaying the loss of water from deeper tissues, storing sensory receptor, synthesizing biomechanical, and discharging waste from the body (p.117). The skin has two layers: the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (inner layer) (p.117). There is also a subcutaneous layer or hypodermis (p.117). According to Shier, Butler, and Lewis 2009 “as its name indicates, this layer is beneath the skin and not a true layer of the skin” (p.117). This layer has the blood vessels that supply the skin (p.117).
It is made mostly of connective tissue (areolar and dense irregular). Connective tissue provides support to the epidermis because it consists of numerous collagen and elastin fibers. The dermis serves as a first line of protection so that pathogens (bacteria and/or microbes) that have made it through the epidermis cannot move any farther. The dermis produces a gel-like substance within the areolar connective tissue that slows down the movement of microbes. The dermis also supplies blood and nutrients to the epidermis (via blood vessels) and supports sensory reception (nerve fibers). Accessory structures found in the dermis include a portion of the hair follicle, secretory glands (sebaceous and sweat glands), touch receptors (nerve fibers) and blood vessels. There dermis has two layers: the papillary layer and reticular layer. The papillary layer is the outer top portion of the dermis that is below (deep to) the epidermis. It has a sub layer called dermal papillae. Dermal papillae has ridge-like projections that interlock with ridges in the lower portion of the epidermis (epidermal ridges). These ridge-like projections have sensory receptors and capillaries. The sensory receptors are called tactile corpuscles that detect light, delicate touch and capillaries supply blood and nutrients to the epidermis above. The reticular layer is the deeper portion of the dermis and consists mostly of dense irregular connective tissue (ground substance and randomly arranged collagen fibers). The lamellated corpusle is a large, leaflet like sensory receptor located in the reticular layer. This receptor detects pressure, rough touch and
The nervous system is composed of all nerve tissue in the body. This organ system forms a communication and coordination network between all parts of the body. It plays a major role in everyday activities such as breathing, walking even blinking. It is made up of nerve tissues to receive and transmit stimuli to nervous centers and initiate response. Neurons are nerve cells that transmit signals from one location of the body to another. With damage to the nervous system the body would not be able to function properly. The body has to be well taken care of in order to insure proper regulation. The two anatomical divisions that work hand in hand to help regulate the nervous system are the central and peripheral nervous system. According to the Campbell’s seventh edition biology book the nervous system is the most intricately organized data processing system on earth. It is a complex collection of nerves and specialized cells.
The first layer, the epidermis, contains keratin which is a water proof protein. This makes the body water proof and keeps water from entering the body. This layer also consist of two specialized cells, langerhans cells and melanocytes. Langerhans cells are macrophages which is a white blood cell that phagocytize infectious agents. They then travel to lymphatic organs. Melanocytes lye deep in the epidermis, and produces melanin. This is the main pigment for skin color. The second layer, the dermis, is a fibrous connective tissue. It is made up of dense fibrous connective tissue and consist of collagen and elastic fibers. The purpose of the collagen fibers are to allow stretching to prevent tearing of the skin; unlike the elastic fibers which only allows for normal tension for stretching, allowing movement of muscles and joints. As we age, the fibers become weaker causing the skin to wrinkle. The blood vessels in the dermis help
At the hypothalamus’s signal, one of two types of sweat glands, the eccrine glands, get to work. These sweat glands produce odorless perspiration, a mixture of water, salt and small amounts of other electrolytes, directly onto the skin’s surface. This second type of sweat gland is found predominantly in hair-covered areas, like the scalp, armpits and groin. These
The nervous system’s main function is to coordinate all of the activities in the body. The main organs are the cerebellum, which controls and coordinates movement. The cerebrum, is the center for conscious thought, learning, and memory. The last main organ is the brain stem. The brain stem keeps the automatic systems in your body working. Problems of the nervous system include, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. You can care for your nervous system by wearing a seatbelt, wearing a helmet, and by not using drugs or alcohol. Something very confusing about the nervous system is that the left side of human brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body!