MIRANDA, Pearlregine Cianne A.

November 9, 2017
1:00 – 4:00 Th A101

Experiment No. 12
Integumentary System

Human Palm Skin

LPO: 100x

Epidermis
a. Stratum corneum
b. Stratum lucidum
c. Stratum granulosum
d. Stratum spinosum
e. Stratum basale
Dermis

Human Scalp
Scanning: 40x

Epidermis
a. Stratum granulosum
b. Stratum spinosum
Sebaceous gland
Hair follicle

Dermis
Group 5 November 9, 2017
1:00 – 4:00 Th A101

Experiment No. 12
Integumentary System

1. Differentiate dermis from epidermis.

Epidermis Dermis

Specific layers Stratum corneum Papillary layer

Stratum lucidum Reticular layer
Stratum granulosum
Stratum spinosum
Stratum basale
Origin Ectoderm Mesoderm

Vascularity Avascular Vascular

Characteristics Keratinized stratified Contains extracellular

epithelium matrix and skin
appendages

Main cells melanocytes and fibroblasts, adipocytes,

keratinocytes and macrophages

2. Differentiate the different skin receptors.

Skin receptors Description
Unencapsulated receptors
Free nerve A free nerve ending (FNE) or bare nerve ending, is an unspecialized,
endings afferent nerve fiber ending of a sensory neuron. Afferent meaning
bringing information from the body's periphery toward the brain. They
function as cutaneous nociceptors and are essentially used by
vertebrates to detect pain, heat, cold.
Merkel discs Merkel nerve endings are mechanoreceptors, a type of sensory receptor,
that are found in the basal epidermis and hair follicles. ... This is sometimes
referred to as aMerkel cell–neurite complex, or a Merkel disk receptor. A
single afferent nerve fibre branches to innervate up to 90 such endings.
Root hair A web of sensory fibers surrounding the bases of hair follicles in the
plexuses reticular dermis that detects movements of the hairs.
Encapsulated Receptors
Krause end Krause end bulbs. (krows), nerve terminals in skin, mucosa of the oral
bulbs cavity, conjunctiva, and other parts, consisting of a laminated capsule of
connective tissue enclosing the terminal, branched,
convoluted ending of an afferent nerve fiber; generally believed to be
sensitive to touch and pressure.
Meissner's Meissner's corpuscles localize in the dermis between epidermal ridges.
Corpuscle They contain an unmyelinated nerve ending surrounded by Schwann
cells. Meissner's corpuscles are touch receptors and enriched in fingers
and toes.
 Lamellated Large oval structures, approximately 0.5 mm by 1 mm, found deep in the
(pacinian) reticular dermis and hypodermis, with an outer capsule and 15-50 thin,
corpuscles concentric lamellae of flattened Schwann cells and collagen surrounding
a highly branched, unmyelinated axon. Lamellated corpuscles are
specialized for sensing coarse touch, pressure (sustained touch), and
vibrations, with distortion of the capsule amplifying a mechanical stimulus
to the axonal core where an impulse is initiated.
Ruffini Have collagenous, fusiform capsules anchored firmly to the surrounding
corpuscles connective tissue, with sensory axons stimulated by stretch (tension) or
twisting (torque) in the skin.

3. Describe the histology of hair and nails.

a. Hair
Hair follicles are tubular invaginations of the epidermis that develop as down
growths of the epidermis into the dermis. Hair is made up of columns of dead keratinized
cells.
The hair has three layers:
A central medulla, or core (not seen in fine hairs), surrounded by a keratinised
cortex, and the outer third layer, which is highly keratinised and forms the thin hard cuticle
on the outside of the hair. These keratinised layers are made by proliferating cells in the hair
matrix at the base of the hair follicle.
Surrounding the hair, towards the base of the hair follicle is the internal root sheath,
which consists of keratinised cells from the hair matrix. The type of keratin here is softer than
that of the hair, and is the same as that found on the surface of the skin. This layer of cells
disintegrates where the ducts of the sebaceous gland enters the hair.
Surrounding the internal root sheath is the external root sheath. This is a tubular
invagination of the epidermis which doesn’t take part in hair formation. Finally, it is
separated from the surrounding connective tissue by a glassy basement membrane.
At the base of the hair follicle/hair bulb, there is a dermal papilla, which contains the
blood supply for the hair. The hair matrix, which contains the proliferating cells that
generate the hair and the internal root sheath, is just above the dermal papilla, and
separated from it by a basement membrane. Like the basal layer of the epidermis, the
cells in the hair matrix proliferate and move upwards, gradually becoming keratinised to
produce the hair.
The arrector pili muscle is a small bundle of smooth muscle cells associated with the
hair follicle. Contractions of this muscle elevate the hair, forming goose bumps, to release
heat and help sebum to be released from gland into duct.

b. Nails
The distal end of each digit is protected by a strong plate of hard keratin, called
a nail or nail plate, which grows out from a nail bed. The nail bed, is a specialized form of
skin epithelium, and has the same four layers of the epidermis of skin, with the nail plate
being analogous to the stratum corneum layer.
The nail plate is made up of tightly packed, hard, keratinized epidermal cells. It has
a nail body, a free edge, and extends deep into the dermis at the proximal end to form
the nail root (or nail groove).
The proliferating cells in the nail root form the nail matrix, and their proliferation make
the nail elongate continuously. As the cells here approach the dorsal surface of the nail,
they are displaced distally, and are gradually transformed into hard keratin, causing the
nail plate to lengthen and strengthen. This layer is thin enough for colour to show through
from the vascular dermis below.
The white crescent at the proximal end is called the lunula. It is white because the
underlying epithelium is thicker here, and the colour of the dermis does not show through
from underneath.
The epithelium underlying the nail bed and nail plate, forms a continuous fold, first
forming the cuticle or eponychium at the proximal end of the nail, overlying the nail plate ,
then the nail bed underneath the nail plate and finally the hyponychium; a thickened
region of stratum corneum that secures the nail to the finger tip, and lies below the nail
plate.