DERMATOLOGY

Lecture I - INTRODUCTION

Skin is the largest organ of the body, covering and protecting the entire surface of the
body. The total surface area of skin is around 3000 sq inches or roughly around
19,355 sq c depending on age, height, and body si!e. The skin, along "ith its
derivatives, nails, hair, s"eat glands, and sebaceous glands fors the integuentary
syste. #esides providing protection to the body the skin has a host of other functions to
be perfored like regulating body teperature, iune protection, sensations of touch,
heat, cold, and pain through the sensory nerve endings, counicating "ith e$ternal
openings of nuerous other body systes like digestive syste, urogenital syste, and
respiratory syste via ucous ebranes and also one of the ost iportant function of
acting as a storage house of energy by collection of adipose tissue, "hich is the principal
fat depot in the body. %t is the first line of defense of our body against any organis. So,
lets no" study the physiology and anatoy of skin in detail.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
1. The study of skin and its appendages &hairs and nails' is called deratology.
(. ) deratologist is a person "ho speciali!es in the skin diseases and disorders and
their treatents.
3. The skin is the largest organ of the body, "ith a total surface area of 19,355 sq c or
3000 sq inches.
*. The color of the skin varies, depending upon the aount of pigent elanin
produced by elanocytes "ithin the epideris.
5. )bout +0 per cent of the body,s hair follicles are in the scalp.
-. #esides foring a covering of the body, the skin has a host lot of functions.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
The skin is priarily coposed of three layers. The skin, "hich appears to be so thin, is
still itself divided into epideris, deris, and subcutaneous layer or hypoderis. .lease
refer to the figure belo" to understand all the three layers. /ach layer has it o"n function
and o"n iportance in aintaining the integrity of skin and thereby the "hole body
structure. So lets, study each part in detail.
1. Epideri!" /pideris is the topost layer or rather the visible part of the skin that is
coposed of stratified squaous epithelial cells. This layer is coposed of five layers of
cel1s, "hich are arranged in t"o !ones0 the superficial horny layer and a gerinal layer
beneath it. The horny layer is again ade up of three layers of cells. These are stratum
corneum, "hich is the superficial layer. %t has thin, flat, dead cells filled "ith keratin,
"hich are constantly being cast off. 1eratin is a very iportant constituent as it is a type
of insoluble fibrous protein that helps to protect the body. This layer helps in protection
against heat, cheicals, light, and icroorganiss. #elo" this layer is stratum lucidum.
This layer contains flat cells "ith no distinct outline and no nuclei. These cells contain
eleidin, "hich is a retractile and "eakly staining keratin present in the cells of the stratu
lucidu of the palar and plantar epideris, "hich is a prekeratinous substance. #elo"
this layer is stratum granulosum. %t is a layer of "ell2defined flat cells, "hich have their
o"n nucleus and also granules and contains a substance called keratohyalin, "hich later
becoes keratin. The ne$t layer of the epideris is stratum spinosum, "hich is the first
and largest layer of the gerinal !one of epideris. %t is ade up of prickle cells having
prickle2like appearance. The deepest layer of epideris is stratum basale also kno"n as
stratu gerinativu. %t is a single layer of cuboidal and colunar cells fro "hich ne"
epideral cells are constantly being produced, "hich later becoe cells of ore
superficial layers. These cells divide continuously by itosis and either push older cells
closer to the surface or replace the.
#. Deri!" The ne$t layer belo" the epideris of the skin is called the deris, "hich is
priarily ade up of elastic and fibrous connective tissue. This layer is arranged in sall
papillae, "hich contain loops of capillary blood vessels. This layer also contains nerve
endings of sensory nerves, coiled tubes of s"eat glands in deep parts of deris and
sebaceous glands, "hich produce an oily secretion called as sebum. 3ucts fro s"eat
glands pass through deris and epideris as spiral canals and open on the skin as inute
depressions, "hich are called pores.
The s"eat glands found on the skin are of t"o types0 eccrine and apocrine. /ccrine s"eat
glands, "hich are found every"here in the body, secrete a "atery fluid to regulate the
body teperature. )pocrine s"eat glands are present in certain parts of the body and
secrete a ilky s"eat caused by breakdo"n of cells by bacteria. #oth types of glands
perfor an iportant function of e$cretion for the body.
$. Su%cut&'e(u! ti!!ue )*+p(deri!," The third layer belo" the deris is the
subcutaneous layer. This layer contains adipose tissue, "hich is the storage depot for fats.
)lso called hypoderis, this layer helps in regulation of body teperature and provides
cushioning to the skin. )ll the underlying uscles and structures are belo" the
hypoderis.
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