Health Sciences 2300A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Stratum Corneum, Keratinocyte, Melanin
15 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
The name integumentary system comes from the roots inte , meaning whole, and gument , meaning body-covering. It is composed of organs including skin, hair, oil and sweat glands, nails, and sensory receptors. It helps to maintain body temperature, protects the body, and provides sensory information on the surrounding environment. Skin is the organ the most easily inspected, as well as the most exposed to infection, disease, and injury. It is constantly exposed to trauma, sun, microbes, and pollutants. Dermatology is the study of structure, effects, and disorders of the integumentary system. For example, there may be skin colour changes which would indicate homeostatic imbalances. Also, you could have skin eruptions or rashes, which could indicate systemic infections or diseases of internal organs. The skin is also known as the cutaneous membrane. It consists of two parts: the dermis and the epidermis (literally above the dermis). It is not part of the skin, but is part of the integument.
