Chapter 22 Section 4

 List 4 functions of the skin

 Describe the 2 layers of the skin

 Describe the structure and function of hair &

nails

 Describe 2 kinds of damage that can affect

skin
 1 sq. inch of skin can hold as many as:
 650 sweat glands
 20 blood vessels
 More than 1,000 nerve endings

 No 2 people have the same fingerprints

 More than ¾ of the dust in some homes is

made up of dead skin cells!!!!!!
 Only mammals have true hair

 Visible signs of aging occurs most in this system:

age spots, wrinkles, gray hair, less active seat
glands
 Hair that is kept short grows an average of 2cm
per month; growth slows to 1cm per month for
hair longer than 30 cm
 Fingernails grow ~ 2 cm each year (middle finger
is the fastest!) 3x quicker than toenails!
 Composed of the skin, hair, nails

 Covers your body and helps to maintain

homeostasis
1. Protects: keeps water in your body and
foreign particles out
2. Nerve endings keep you in touch with the
outside world; you can feel the world around
you
3. Helps to regulate body temperature (sweat
glands)
4. Helps to get rid of wastes; removed in sweat
 Skin color is determined by melanin

 A lot of melanin, skin is dark; little melanin,

light

 Melanin absorbs UV light from the sun

 Helps to reduce damage that can lead to skin

cancer (all skin still needs to be protected!)
 Skin is a complex organ:

 Composed of:
 Blood vessels
 Nerve fibers
 Hair follicles
 Muscle fibers
 Oil glands
 Sweat glands
http://www.factmonster.com/images/ESCI351SKIN003.gif
 Skin is the largest organ in the body

 In an adult it covers an area of about 2m²

 2 main layers
 Epidermis: outermost layer

 Dermis: the thicker layer that lies beneath

 Made of epithelial tissue

 Made of many layers of cells, but is only as

thick as 2 sheets of paper (thicker on palms of
hands & soles of feet)
 Most cells here are dead

 The cells are filled with a protein called

keratin (makes the skin tough)
http://www.dermnetnz.org/doctors/principles/images/epidermis.jpg

http://www.naturalrussia.com/nr/images/skin_structure.gif
 Lies beneath the epidermis

 Has many fibers made of a protein called

collagen (fibers that provide strength)
 Collagen fibers let skin bend without tearing

 Contains many smaller structures

 Sweat glands, follicles, nerve fibers, fat cells,
blood vessels, oil glands, muscle fibers
http://1stholistic.com/Beauty/images/skin-section.GIF
 Important part of the system

 Like skin, hair & nails are made of living &

dead cells
 Hair forms at the bottom of a tiny sac called a
hair follicle
 Hair grows as new cells are added at the hair
follicle
 Older cells get pushed upward

 Only living cells are in the follicle

 Like skin, hair gets its color from melanin

 Hair helps protect skin from UV light

 Keeps particles (dust, insects) out of eyes and

nose

 Helps regulate temperature (muscles in

follicles contract) – trap warm air and warm
body
http://www.infovisual.info/03/037_en.html
 Nails grow from living cells in the nail root at
the base of the nail

 As new cells form, the nail grows longer

 Protect the tips of fingers and toes

 Allows your fingers and toes to remain

sensitive for touch
http://www.drstandley.com/images/fingernail.gif
 Your skin can usually repair itself when
injured

 Damage to genetic material can cause skin

cancer

 Skin is also affected by hormones (over

produce in oil glands) – leads to acne when
bacteria clog hair follicles
 A blood clot forms over a cut to stop
bleeding
Keeps bacteria from entering the
wound
Bacteria fighting cells come to kill
bacteria in the area
Damaged cells are replaced through
cell division
A scar is all that is left on the surface

http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/partIB_pract/P03/image04.jpg
 What are the 4 functions of the skin?

 Describe 2 layers of the skin