Tutorial 4

Chapter 5 Skin and Integument System

  
       
 
1. The skin is one of the larger organs of the body.

2. The tough layer of waterproof material that makes up the outermost portion of
the epidermis is called the stratum lucidum.

3. In healthy skin, the production of epidermal cells is closely balanced with the
loss of skin cells.

4. Synovial membranes are composed primarily of connective tissues.

5. When the body temperature drops below normal, dermal blood vessels are
likely to dilate.

6. Melanocytes can transfer granules of melanin into nearby epithelial cells.

7. The arrector pili muscle is composed of striated muscle tissue.

8. The secretion of the sebaceous glands is called sebum.

9. The major blood vessels that supply the skin are located between the dermis
and the epidermis.

10. The outermost layer of the epidermis is stratum basale and the innermost layer
is stratum corneum.

11. The function of melanocytes is to synthesize melanin, which protects underlying

cells from the effects of ultraviolet light.

12. The dermis is very flat compared to the epidermis, which has ridges projecting
inward and elevations called papillae.

13. If the temperature of the body drops below the normal range, the skin responds
by constricting epidermal blood vessels, activating sweat glands, and
inactivating muscles.

14. Sunlight, ultraviolet light, and X rays all cause skin to darken because they
cause an increase in blood flow to the dermis.

15. Carcinomas appear most often in the skin of the neck, face, and scalp.

16. Three physiological factors that affect the color of skin are: amount of blood in
dermal vessels, carotene in the subcutaneous layer, and various diseases.

17. Sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which functions to destroy bacteria that may
be present on the skin.
 18. Epidermal cells that move up through the strata become very keratinized as
they die due to a lack of blood supply.

19. Hair color is determined by the amount of keratin protein produced during
keratinization.

20. Bedsores, or decubitus ulcers, are dead epidermal cells resulting from
decreased blood supply to the affected region of the skin.

21. Melanin production is greater in the skin of people who live outdoors all the time
than in people who do not.

22. Vasoconstriction, or constriction of dermal blood vessels, is greater at 97.5

degrees Fahrenheit than at 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

23. Skin cancers originating from epithelial cells are called melanomas and those
arising from melanocytes are called carcinomas.

24. Carcinomas are rarer than melanomas and occur primarily in people who work
indoors but occasionally experience blistering sunburns during weekend
activity.

25. Melanomas develop from melanocytes; therefore, their color is always

brownish.

26. Melanomas appear most often in the skin of the trunk, especially in the back, or
in the skin of the limbs.

27. Typically, a melanoma spreads through the skin horizontally but can grow
downward into the dermis and can even invade deeper tissues.

28. A burn that involves the epidermis only is called a deep partial-thickness burn.

29. Healing of a deep partial-thickness burn involves production of new cells from
the stratum basale, or germinativum.

30. A burn that destroys the epidermis, dermis, and accessory organs of the skin is
called a full-thickness burn, and the skin becomes dry and leathery.

Answers for chapter 6 –skin

1) TRUE
2) FALSE
3) TRUE
4) TRUE
5) FALSE
6) TRUE
7) FALSE
8) TRUE
9) FALSE
10) FALSE
 11) TRUE
12) FALSE
13) FALSE
14) FALSE
15) TRUE
16) TRUE
17) TRUE
18) TRUE
19) FALSE
20) TRUE
21) TRUE
22) TRUE
23) FALSE
24) FALSE
25) FALSE
26) TRUE
27) TRUE
28) FALSE
29) FALSE
30) TRUE

Level 2 Review Exercises

3. Distinguish between the epidermis and the dermis.
The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and is composed of keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium. The dermis is the inner, thicker layer, and includes various tissues, such
as connective tissue, epithelial tissue, smooth muscle tissue, nervous tissue, and blood. The
epidermis and dermis are separated by a basement membrane that is anchored to the dermis by
short fibrils.

14. Explain the function of sebaceous glands.

Sebaceous glands contain groups of specialized epithelial cells and are usually associated with
hair follicles.
They are holocrine glands that secrete an oily substance called sebum (a mixture of fatty
materials and cellular debris) that serve to keep the hair and skin soft, pliable, and relatively
waterproof.
15. Distinguish between eccrine and apocrine sweat glands.
Certain sweat glands, known as apocrine glands, respond to emotional stress and become
active when a
person is emotionally upset, frightened, or experiencing pain. They are most numerous in the
armpits and groin. These are usually connected to hair follicles. The development of these
glands is stimulated by sex
hormones so they become mature at puberty. Eccrine glands are not associated with hair
follicles, and
function throughout life in response to elevated body temperature associated with
environmental heat and physical exercise. These sweat glands are found primarily on the
forehead, neck, and back where they produce profuse sweating.

25. Distinguish among first-, second-, and third-degree burns.

A first-degree burn is a superficial partial-thickness burn. An example would be a sunburn. A
second-degree burn is a deep partial-thickness burn. Any burn that blisters is a second-degree
burn. A third-degree burn is a full-thickness burn. It can burn away all the skin and muscles
leaving bone exposed.

Level 3 Critical Thinking Questions

3. As a rule, a superficial partial-thickness burn is more painful than one involving deeper
tissues. How would you explain this observation?

3. The superficial burn would irritate, and thus stimulate, nerve endings (pain receptors); the
deeper burn would destroy them.

8. How is skin peeling after a severe sunburn protective? How might a fever be protective?
8. Skin peeling is protective because it rids the body of cells that could become cancerous. A
fever is protective because it creates an environment in the body that is inhospitable to some
pathogens.

9. Why would collagen and elastin added to skin creams be unlikely to penetrate the skin – as
some advertisements imply they do?

9. The epidermis (outer layer) is a layer of stratified squamous epithelium that lacks blood
vessels.