Integumentary system

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Structure of human skin

The integumentary system is everything covering the outside of an animal's body. This account is written mostly with people in mind, but it applies more widely.

The integument means skin, hair, scales, nails, sweat glands and their products (sweat and mucus). The name comes from the Latin integumentum, which means 'a covering'.

The integumentary system[change | change source]

Skin, hair, scales, feathers and nails make up the integumentary system.

Skin[change | change source]

There are two layers of skin:

  1. Epidermis - This is the top layer of the skin and is made of dead cells. The cells are shed all the time, but new ones are always being made, so people never lose any skin. It has sweat pores.
  2. Dermis - This is the second layer of skin. It has touch receptors, and oil and sweat glands. It makes skin stretchy.
  3. Subcutaneous tissue (The subcutaneous tissue is not part of the skin, but it is in the integumentary system)

Glands[change | change source]

There are four types of glands

Functions[change | change source]

The integumentary system has lots of different functions. It:

Problems[change | change source]

Here is a list of skin problems:

There are other skin problems that are less common.

References[change | change source]

  • Kardong, Kenneth V. 1998. Vertebrates: comparative anatomy, function, evolution. McGraw-Hill.[1] ISBN 0-07-115356-X/0-697-28654-1

Other websites[change | change source]