Essay On The Integumentary System

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In Chapter 6 we learn about the Integumentary System. The discussion on the integumentary system will include the skin and subcutaneous tissues, hair, nails, and cutaneous glands and disorders of the skin.
Skin is the organ that covers our internal organs and tissues. It provides for the sense of touch, helps to protect us from invading bacteria and infections, aids in regulating our internal body temperature and water balance and, with the help of the sun, provides us with Vitamin D, which is essential in the development of bones. It is the largest organ of the human body. It has two types, the thick skin found on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet, and thin skin which covers the rest of the body.
The skin is made up of layers called epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer and consists mainly of dead cells and a protein called keratin. The epidermis is avascular, meaning there are no blood vessels in this layer. It contains a few nerve receptors for touch and pain. The cells found in the epidermis are stem cells, which become the next cell described, keratinocytes. These cells manufacture the protein keratin and are the most abundant cells in the epidermis. Melanocytes are found in the epidermis and they create the pigment called …show more content…

It is much thicker than the epidermis and contains collagen, reticular and elastic fibers, and is vascular. The area where the dermis meets the epidermis is unique in that the epidermis contains ridges at the stratum basale layer which interlocks with the dermal papillae, which are upward projections, like waves, on the uppermost surface of the dermis. The dermis had two sublayers. The papillary layer is in the dermal papillae and near it and is made up of areolar tissue. The reticular layer is dense irregular connective tissue that is found at the basal end of the dermis and contains collagen and adipose

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