Chapter 4: Integumentary System
Chapter Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter the participant will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Identify and describe the structures of the skin.
Discuss the functions of the skin.
Locate the structures of the skin on a diagram.
Analyze medical terms that are common to the skin
Define medical terms that are common to the skin
Spell medical terms that are common to the skin.
Pronounce medical terms that are common to the skin.
Successfully complete the review exercises at the end of the chapter.
To give this chapter the title of “The Skin” is technically incorrect because the skin is
only part of what will be discussed. The proper name that should be used is the
“integumentary system”. This term comes from a Latin word which means “covering”
and this system covers the body as a whole. Besides the skin we will also discuss the
related structures of the hair, glands and nails. An extension of the skin “the breast”
will also be discussed at this time. The breast, which is discussed in the next chapter,
will also be referred to later in the course when we consider the female reproductive
system.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin
The skin consists of a structure that has three distinct layers:
 Epidermis
 Dermis
 Subcutaneous layer
Epidermis





Consists of epithelial cells that also line the body cavities and the organs.
Melanocytes are the cells in the skin that give it color. The reason for the
color is the presence of a pigment called melanin. The more melanin you
have the darker your skin will be.
The skin is made tough, waterproof and resistant to infection by the
presence of a protein called keratin.
There are no blood vessels or nerves in this layer. Relies on the layers
below it for nourishment.
Outermost layer of the skin.
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Hair shaft
Pore
Epidermis
Dermis
Sebaceous
(oil) gland
Subcutaneous
Layer
Hair follicle
Sudoriferous
(sweat) gland
Vein
Artery
Nerve
Dermis
 Layer of skin directly below the epidermis.
 Composed of blood and lymph vessels, nerve fibers, and the accessory organs
of the skin.
 Blood vessels in this layer bring the nutrients to the skin.
 Blood vessels also help control the body temperature by dilating and allowing
heat to escape when the body is hot and by constricting and preventing loss of
heat when it is cold.
 Contains cells that allow it to be strong (fibroblasts), destroy bacteria
(macrophages) and act against foreign bodies (mast cells and plasma cells)
Subcutaneous Tissue
 Layer of connective tissue that is not really part of the skin.
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 Connects the dermis layer to the muscles and organs that are below.
 Contains fat that insulates the body parts below.
Related Organs
 Hair
 Nails
 Glands (Sebaceous and Sweat)
Hair




Rod like fibers that are made up of dead protein cells filled with keratin.
Grows from hair follicles. These are shafts or sacs that hold the hair fiber.
The combining forms pil/o and pil/i.
Color depends on the melanin that is present in the hair fiber. With aging there
is a decrease in the amount of melanin we produce that explains why our hair
turns gray.
Nails
 Consist of epithelial cells that have been keratinized.
 The combining forms ungu/o and onych/o mean nails.
Sebaceous Gland
 Glands that secrete an oily substance known as sebum. This substance
lubricates the skin and because it has an acid property it discourages growth of
bacteria.
 Located in the dermal layer and are closely associated with the hair follicles.
 The combining form for the sebum produced by these glands is seb/o.
Sweat Gland
 Tiny coiled gland found on almost all body surfaces. Numerous in the palms of
the hands and the soles of the feet.
 Ducts from these glands open onto the surface of the skin through pores.
 Sweat, which is 99% water, is secreted by these glands. This allows for the body
to get rid of extra water and to cool as sweat is evaporated.
 The other term for sweat gland is “sudoriferous” gland.
 The combining form for sweat is hidr/o.
Word Parts for the Integumentary System
Roots
 albin/o
 adip/o, lip/o, steat/o
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white
fat
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


















bi/o
cry/o
cyan/o
derm/o; dermat/o; cutane/o
diaphor/e
epitheli/o
erythemat/o; erythr/o, erythem/o
hidr/o
hist/o, histi/o
kerat/o; keratin/o
leuk/o
melan/o
myc/o
necr/o
onych/o; ungu/o
pil/o, pil/i
py/o
seb/o
vascul/o
life
cold
blue
skin
profuse sweating
covering
red, redness
sweat
tissue
hard; hornlike
white
black
fungus
death
nail
hair
pus
sebum
vessel
Prefixes
 epi-
upon, above, on
Suffixes




-derma
oma
-phagia
-therapy
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skin
tumor, mass
eating
treatment
42
Term Analysis and Definition
Word Part
Term
Term Analysis
Definition
albin/o
alb/o
albinism
albin = white
-ism = condition
Absence of pigment in the skin,
hair and eyes. Appear very
white.
adip/o
lip/o
steat/o
adipose
adip = fat
-ose = pertaining to
Pertaining to fat
lipoma
-oma = tumor
lip = fat
Tumor or mass containing fat.
bi/o
skin biopsy
bi = life
-opsy = to view
Removal of skin for
microscopic examination
cyan/o
cyanotic
cyan = blue
-tic = pertaining to
Pertaining to a bluish
discoloration of the skin.
derm/o
dermat/o
cutane/o
dermatitis
dermat = skin
-itis = inflammation
Inflammation of the skin.
dermatology
derm = skin
-logy = study
The study of the skin and its
diseases.
hypodermic
hypo = under,
below
-ic = pertaining to
derm = skin
Pertaining to below the skin.
subcutaneous
Pertaining to under the skin.
sub = under
cutane = skin
-ous = pertaining to
diaphor/e
diaphoresis
diaphor = profuse
sweating
is = condition
Condition where there is
profuse sweating.
epitheli/o
epithelial
epithel = covering
-al = pertaining to
Pertaining to the epithelium.
epithelium
epithel = covering
-um = structure
Structure made up of epithelial
cells
erythema
erythr = red
Red discoloration of the skin.
erythematous
erythemat = red
-ous = pertaining to
Pertaining to a redness of the
skin.
erythr/o
erythemat/o
erythem/o
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Word Part
Term
Term Analysis
anhidrosis
-osis = abnormal
condition
a(n) = no, lack of
hidr = sweat
Abnormal condition where
there is a lack of sweat.
hyperhidrosis
hyper = excessive
Condition of excessive
sweating.
kerat/o
keratin/o
hyperkeratosis
hyper = excessive
-osis = abnormal
condition
kerat = hard,
hornlike
Excessive growth of the horny
layer of the skin.
leuk/o
leukoderma
leuk = white
-derma = skin
Lack of pigment in the skin that
shows up as white patches.
melan/o
melanocyte
melan = black
-cyte = cell
Cell that produces melanin.
necr/o
necrotic
necr = death
-tic = pertaining to
Pertaining to death (of tissue)
onych/o
ungu/o
onychomycosis
onych = nail
-osis = abnormal
condition
myc/o = fungus
Fungal infection of the nail
periungual
peri- = around
-al = pertaining to
Pertaining to around the nail
pil/o
pil/i
pilosebaceous
pilo- = hair
seb = sebum, oil
-ous = pertaining to
Pertaining to the hair follicles
and the sebaceous glands
py/o
pyoderma
py = pus
-derma = skin
Any pus-producing disease of
the skin.
pyogenic
- genic = producing
Pus producing.
seb/o
seborrhea
seb = sebum
-rrhea = flow,
discharge
Increased discharge of sebum
from the sebaceous glands.
vascul/o
avascular
a- = no, lack of
vascul = vessel
ar = pertaining to
Pertaining to lack of blood
vessels.
hidr/o
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Definition
Word Part
Term
Term Analysis
Definition
epi-
epidermis
epi = upon, above
dermis = dermis
Above the dermis
-oma
adenoma
aden = gland
-oma = tumor
Tumor of a gland.
carcinoma
carcin = cancerous
-oma = tumor
Malignant/cancerous tumor.
melanoma
melan = black
-oma = tumor
A malignant black mole or
tumor (a tumor composed of
melanin-pigmented cells)
cryotherapy
cry = cold
therapy = treatment
Treatment that involves use of
cold as its basis.
-therapy
VOCABULARY WORDS:
Acne
an inflammatory condition of the sebaceous glands and hair
follicles; Pimples
Alopecia
loss of hair; baldness
Burn
injury to tissue caused by heat, fire, lightening or radiation. Burns
Are classified according to degree or depth of skin damage
Carbuncle
boil
Cicatrix
scar
Comedo
blackhead
Decubitus ulcer
a bed sore
Exudate
production of pus or serum
Herpes simplex
cold sore
Urticaria
hives
Nevus
mole
Pruritus
severe itching
Tinea
ringworm
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Verruca
wart
ABBREVIATIONS:
FUO
Hx
SLE
Ung
–
–
–
-
fever of unknown origin
history
Systemic Lupus Erythemoutosus
ointment
Revised August 2003