Keziah Ventling

Integumentary System Lab Report

Intro paragraphs
The Integumentary System is made up of the skin, sweat and oil glands, nails, and hair.
The Integumentary System is mainly for protection of the body. The skin is the largest organ on
the body because it covers your entire body unlike any other organ. There are two different
layers of the skin, the outermost layer which is the Epidermis, and the next layer which is the
Dermis. In the Dermis layer there is also another deep layer called the Hypodermis. Hair is
another part of the Integumentary System and is made up of dead keratinocytes. Nails are made
up of sheets of hardened keratinocytes and can be found on the tips of fingers and toes. Lastly,
the integumentary system is also our sweat and oil glands found all over the body. Since the skin
covers our body, it is able to regulate temperature and help the body with homeostasis. It does
various things like make you sweat or shiver to keep the body balanced.
The structure of our integumentary system is shown in figure 1. In figure 1 you are able
to see various things in the skin histology. The skin is made up of three different layers, the
epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis and when put under a microscope, you are able to see them.
The hair bulb in the top left is very easily spotted along with the hair root. Under a microscope
these things are easier to see and cannot be seen by the human eye. This skin histology picture
was taken during a lab.
The integumentary system plays a big role in the homeostasis of your body. Your skin
will do things like sweat in order to bring your body back to being balanced. Eccrine sweat gland
density is different depending on the area of the body (see figure 2). During the Eccrine sweat
gland lab it is very easy to make mistakes and give the wrong data because when looking under a
microscope there are hundreds of eccrine sweat glands. It is difficult to accurately count how
many and get the right number. Homeostasis is very important in the skin and it takes time to
bring the body back to a balanced state. When your body is cold, your skin will shiver and work
to bring it back to its normal temperature (see figure 3). When ice was put onto my palm and
forearm, my skin temperature immediately dropped and even after waiting two minutes, it was
still not at my original temperature. My body took a while to get back to the original temperature
and had to work hard to do so. During this lab, it was important to retrieve accurate temperatures
each time because if not it could throw off your data.
Another big part of the integumentary system is the sensory of the skin. Skin sensory
receptors are different on both sides of the body and also in different areas of the body (see
figure 4). Parts of the body such as the lips, nose, and fingertips are very sensitive and it is easier
for those parts to discriminate the two points. For other parts of the body like the thigh and scalp,
it is not as easy to discriminate the points. Every body is different and some areas are more
sensitive than for others. When drawn out (see figure 5), it is easy to see which areas are the
most sensitive. Homunculus drawings make it clear to see some areas are super sensitive and
discriminate the two points all the way until they are almost one point. Sensory is good for touch,
pressure, pain, and temperature and all these things help our bodies function.
Melanoma is skin cancer and is very common for people who spend a lot of time in the
sun and do not protect their bodies. There are many things you can do to try to prevent it and
take care of your body (see figure 6). Melanoma is very common in people with fair skin,
freckles, and light hair. One in every five americans will receive skin cancer in their lifetime. It is

important to protect your skin and do not spend too much time during the hottest hours of the
day. In the case study about Judy, she is fair and spends time in the sun trying to tan. She finds
an odd mole on her leg which is one of the signs of skin cancer and goes to the doctor to have it
checked out. Her case study shows how important skin care is and how bad lying in the sun can
be.
The Integumentary system is the biggest organ of the body and it plays a huge role in
remaining balanced. Skin makes sure the body remains at homeostasis at all times and does
certain things to bring it back if it goes unbalanced. Whether the body is too hot or too cold, the
skin works to keep it at a normal temperature. This lab has showed all the different layers of the
skin and how they all work together and what our skin is used for. The integumentary system
protects, regulates temperature, and gives sensation so that you are able to feel things.

Figure 1. Skin Histology structure labeled and dyed darker in order to show up more. The things
labeled are the hair bulb, duct of eccrine sweat gland, adipose tissue, pore, hair root, sebaceous
gland, and the region of cell division.

Figure 2. Eccrine sweat Gland Density graph from two tested areas, the ventral forearm and the
ventral palm. The graph has data from both the class and individual data.

Figure 3. Coldest and Recovery lab to show homeostasis in the skin and how well it recovers
after being unbalanced.

Figure 4. Two Point Discrimination Test to test the sensory reception of the skin on different
parts of the body and also different sides.

Figure 5. Homunculus drawing from the data retrieved in the Two Point Discrimination Lab.
This drawing shows how sensitive each part of the body is.

Figure 6. Melanoma Infographic from a Melanoma case study of a girl and the chance of her
having skin cancer. This infographic gives information on melanoma, some signs you may have
it, who is at risk, and how to prevent it.

APA Citations
Integumentary System. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/integumentary#full-description
New Health Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.newhealthguide.org/Functions-Of-The-Skin.html
Paxton, S. (n.d.). Histology Guide | Skin. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.histology.leeds.ac.uk/skin/skin_layers.php
Skin Cancer Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma
THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from
https://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookINTEGUSYS.html