The Integumentary System
The Integumentary System
The Integumentary System
System
Anatomy and Physiology
• The skin, also called integument, is the largest organ in the body.
Together with its accessory organs (hair, nails, and glands), the skin
makes up the integumentary system.
Hair is found on nearly all parts of the body except for the lips, nipples, palms of
the hands, soles of the feet, and parts of the external genitalia. The visible part of
the hair is the hair shaft; the part that is embedded in the dermis is the hair root.
The root, together with its coverings, forms the hair follicle. At the bottom of the
follicle is a loop of capillaries enclosed in a covering called the papilla. The cluster
of epithelial cells lying over the papilla reproduces and is responsible for the
eventual formation of the hair shaft. As long as these cells remain alive, hair will
regenerate even if it is cut, plucked, or otherwise removed.
Alopecia (baldness) occurs when the hairs of the scalp are not replaced because
of death of the papillae (singular,papilla).
Nails
Nails protect the tips of the fingers and toes from bruises and injuries.
Each nail is formed in the nail root and is composed of keratinized
stratified squamous epithelial cells producing a very tough covering. As
the nail grows, it stays attached and slides forward over the layer of
epithelium called the nail bed.
This epithelial layer is continuous with the epithelium of the skin. Most
of the nail body appears pink because of the underlying vascular tissue.
The half-moon–shaped area at the base of the nail, the lunula, is the
region where new growth occurs. The lunula has a whitish appearance
because the vascular tissue underneath does not show through.