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10/24/13
Anatomy1stperiod
LabReport
IntegumentarySystem
Theskinisaprotectivelayer,usedbythebodyasafirstlineofdefenseagainstforeign
objectsandillnesses.Theskinhasmanylayers,withthemaintwobeingepidermisanddermis,
withfunctionslikesensoryreceptorsandsweatglandstokeephomeostasisinthebody.The
epidermisisthetoplayeroftheskin,itisathinstronglayerwheresweatandoilcancomeoutto
relieveheatandretainhomeostasisinthebody.Thebottomlayerisdermis,athink,deeplayer
withmanyfunctionsthroughoutthelayer.Sensoryreceptors,whichfeelpainandpressure
aroundthebody,andsweatglands,whichallowthebodytoretaintemperaturehomeostasis
throughthebody,canbefoundinthislayer.
Figure1:Thesearemyfingerprints,Thepapillarylayeriswhatcreatesthefingerprints.
Figure2:Thesearemylipprints.
Figure3:Thisisascarthathasbeenonmyfingerforyears.
Sensoryreceptorsintheskinprovideinformationtothebrainaboutthesizeandshape
ofobjectsheldinthehand.(Gardner,EstherP.2010).Sensoryreceptorscanbefoundinthe
dermis,thebottomlayeroftheskin.Sensorypathwaysconsistofthechainofneurons,from
receptororgantocerebralcortex,thatareresponsiblefortheperceptionofsensations.
(Dougherty,Patrick,Ph.D.).Therearedifferenttypesofsensorypathways,receptororganto
cerebralcortexthatareresponsibleoftheperceptionofsensationandanainofneurons.The
kindoftouchreceptorslikefreenerveendings,whichinformsthebrainaboutpainandislocated
alloverthebody.Therearealsopaciniancorpuscles,theydetectpressurearoundthebodyand
tellthebrainwhenalimbofthebodyhadmoved.Tactilecorpusclesaregroupedontheskinof
thefingertips,lipsandorificesofthebody.
Figure4:Thisisagraphofmytwopointdiscriminationlab.
Figure5:Thisisthehomunculusgraphusingmyinformationinmytableabove.
Figure6:Thisisthebargraphfromthetwopointdiscriminationlabgraphingthe3highestand
lowesttouchreceptorsfromthelab.
Sweatglandshadbeenthoughtofsince1614,anItalianphysiologistSantotioSan
Ctorruswhoquantifiedthemthroughchangesinthebodymassduetoperspiration.The
identificationofsweatglandshappenedbyMarcelloMalpighiandEmpedas,andbyanother
scientistnamedNehemiahGrewinwhofoundedthesweatglandsonthehandsandfeet.Sweat
glandswerefinallydiscoveredbyJohannesPurkinje,aCzechphysiologist,1833.Taylor,Nigel
andMachadoMoreira,Christina.(2013)Regionalvariationsintransepidermalwaterloss,
eccrinesweatglanddensity,sweatsecretionratesandelectrolytecompositioninrestingand
exercisinghumans.TheKarlKrausehadthefirstrecorded,evidenceofsweatglands.During
pregnancythesweatglandsstartappearingat1213weeks.Inthelab,weweresupposedto
swabplacesonourskinthatcouldhavealotofsweatglands.Wethentapedonpiecesof
papertoourskintotryandcountthesweatglandsthatappear.Mydatashowedthatthepalmof
myhandwaswerethemostsweatglandsontestsites.Inmyconclusion,Istatedthatmy
hypothesiswasonefourthright.Thatthesitewiththemostsweatglandsweremyhands.Ialso
pointedtowardthegraphthatwasdonebyscientistthatshowedtheconclusioninmylabwas
documentedbyscientist.Duringthevascularitylabwelookedatourtemperaturesatbaseline,
after30secondsofice,andafter30secondsofexercise.Theaveragebaselinetemperature
was32.5degreescelsiusforthepalm,32.9degreescelsiusfortheanteriorforearm,and32.5
degreescelsiusforthecheek.Thecommonaveragebaselinealloverwas32degreescelsius,
soourbodyshomeostasiswasgoingtotryandkeepourtemperaturebeing32degreescelsius.
Thistypeofhomeostasisiscalledthermoregulation,itmeanstheabilityofanorganismtokeep
itsbodytemperaturewithincertainboundaries.Thetemperatureoftheskinsurfaceofthetrunk
usuallyvariesbetween33.5and36.9C.(92.3and98.4F.)(Bierman,William.1936).Thiscould
explainwhytheaverageofthebodypartswerealittlelessthanthis,theyarefurtherawayfrom
theheartwhichispumpingalltheblood.Thishelpstonotcausehyperthermia,elevatedbody
temperature,orhypothermia,whichisdecreasedbodytemperature.Aftericetheclassaverage
was29degreescelsiusforthepalm,29.3degreescelsiusfortheanteriorforearm,and32.6
degreescelsiusforthecheek.Ittookabout180secondsto200secondsforournatural
homeostasistogetourbodytemperaturesbackuptothebaselinetemperature.Afterexercise,
theaveragebodytemperaturewas34.6degreescelsiusforthepalm,32.9degreescelsiusfor
theanteriorforearm,and33.4degreecelsiusforthecheek.Ittookabout180secondstogetthe
temperaturetobaseline.Inconclusion,itseemedtotakelongertoheatupaftericethantocool
downafterexercise.ThereasonwhyIthinkittookalittlelongertoheatupaftericethentocool
downafterexercisewasbecauseoftheroomwetookthetestinwascolderandpulledourbody
temperaturedownandkeptitdownandcausingeveryonesthermoregulationtotryandkeep
heatingupfightingthecoldroomstemperature.
Figure7:Thisistheresultsofmysweatglanddensitylab.
Figure8:ThesearetheresultsofmyThermoregulationLab
Inconclusion,thereweremanythingsduringthislabthatIlearned.Duringtheeccrine
sweatglanddensitylabIlearnedthatmostsectionofthebodythathadsweatglands,werethe
hands,withtheaverageinourclassbeing70.21sweatglands.Inthetemperaturerecoverylab,I
learnedthatitwaseasierforthebodytorecoverfromexercisethanfromice,thoughpartofthe
reasoncouldbebecauseofthecoldertemperaturefromtheroom.Inthetwopoint
discriminationlabIlearnedthefingertips,lips,andfeetwasweremostofthetouchreceptors
were.Inallthelabs,asanoverallconclusionIlearnedthattheskinhasmorethatjusta
protectionjobfortheinsideofthebody,Theskinhastouchreceptors,sweatglandsfor
thermoregulation,andhastheabilitytoconnectwiththebrainthroughdifferenttypesofsensory
pathwaysthatareintheskin.Theskinismorethanjustcoverageforthebody,itisthebodys
firstrespondertoanytypeofstimulithatcrossesandorganismspath.
Cites
1.Gardner,EstherP.(2010)TouchNewYorkUniversitySchoolofMedicine.
2.Dougherty,Patrick,Ph.D.SomatosensoryPathwaysUniversityofTexas.
3.Bierman,William.(1936)TheTemperatureofTheSkinsSurfaceAMA.
1936106(14):11581162.doi:10.1001/jama36.02770140020007.