Ch. 7.3 Integumentary System Key Terms
A person with no skin pigment; their skin is pinkish, hair is pale yellow or white, and they are very sensitive to light.
Albino
The innermost skin layer made of fibrous connective tissue and fat that connects skin to underlying muscles.
Hypodermis (Subcutaneous fascia)
The “true skin”; contains blood vessels, nerves, glands, hair follicles, and connective tissue.
Dermis
Raised, solid areas on the skin less than 0.5 cm; seen in conditions like pimples and rashes.
Papules
A deep loss of skin surface that may extend into the dermis and can cause bleeding and scars.
Ulcer
Permanent hair loss or baldness, often due to genetics.
Alopecia
The skin and its structures; protects the body, regulates temperature, stores fat, and helps with sensory perception.
Integumentary System
A reddish discoloration of the skin caused by burns or congestion of blood vessels.
Erythema
Pus-filled sacs such as those seen in acne or pimples.
Pustules
Blisters or fluid-filled sacs like those seen in chickenpox.
Vesicles
To get smaller; when blood vessels constrict, heat is retained in the body.
Constrict
A yellow discoloration of the skin caused by liver or gallbladder disease or the destruction of red blood cells.
Jaundice
To get larger; when blood vessels dilate, heat escapes through the skin.
Dilate
Oil glands that usually open into hair follicles and produce sebum, which keeps skin and hair soft.
Sebaceous glands
Itchy, elevated areas with irregular shapes; examples include hives and insect bites
Wheals
Areas of dried pus and blood on the skin, commonly called scabs.
Crusts
Flat, discolored skin spots less than 1 cm in diameter (e.g., freckles).
Macules
The outermost layer of skin with no blood vessels or nerve cells; constantly sheds and replaces cells.
Epidermis
Fatty tissue under the skin that stores fat, insulates the body, and anchors skin to muscles.
Subcutaneous (Fascia)
A bluish discoloration of the skin caused by insufficient oxygen.
Cyanosis
The skin pigment produced in the epidermis that determines skin color and helps protect against UV rays.
Melanin
A closed sac with a clear membrane that develops abnormally in the body and is filled with a semifluid substance
Cyst
Sweat glands that cool the body by releasing sweat through pores.
Sudoriferous glands