ISP: Diseases and Conditions Affecting the Integumentary System Lesson
Diseases and Conditions Affecting the Integumentary System
Many of your earliest memories likely include the trauma associated with an injury. No matter how small the injury, the curious child always wants a bandage and to know when "the booboo will be better." This is the first introduction to the inflammatory response and healing process as a method to maintain homeostasis and the integrity of the skin.
Wound Healing Video
Although painful, inflammation is a normal response to injury.
Fluids leak into the injured tissue, causing the tissue to become swollen, warm, and painful to the touch. The goal of increased fluid exposure is not to increase the pain associated with the injury, but rather to increase the nutrients and oxygen supply required for healing to occur.
Specific Skin Conditions
Environmental irritants coupled with an individual's genetic makeup may predispose the human organism to specific skin conditions.
Acne is a disease specifically linked to the sebaceous glands. Sebum, the oily content released through the sebaceous gland duct, can occlude the duct opening leading to the development of a pimple. The National Institutes of Health identifies acne as the most common skin disease affecting an estimated 80 percent of all people at some point during the life span.
Eczema symptoms vary from person to person but include dry, scaly, itchy, and recurring rash. Over time the continuous cycle of inflammation and itching may lead to rough, dark, leathery patches of skin.
Psoriasis is a condition that may come with increased scrutiny secondary to a knowledge deficit regarding the disease process. Let's understand a little more about what the disease is and is not.
Psoriasis video
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"Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States" (NIH, National Library of Medicine). Common types of skin cancer include squamous cell, basal cell, and melanoma. Of all skin cancer types, melanoma holds the greatest life-threatening potential.
Melanoma occurs when cancer cells form in the melanocytes of the skin. In a previous module, we discussed defects in cellular production. Let's take a look at the diagnosis, risk factors, and treatments associated with melanoma.
Melanoma video
The Aging Integumentary System
Changes in the integrity of the skin are the most visible signs of aging. Changes in the skin organ affect homeostasis and appearance in a way never experienced in the human organism.
The epidermal layers of the skin display the tell-tale signs of a life filled with the effects of brutally cold winters and sun-filled days at the beach. The cell cycle begins to slow producing larger cells that are fewer in number and less elastic resulting in thinner skin. The fatty layer under the skin once used to produce heat and maintain homeostasis begins to thin. As this fatty layer thins, wrinkles become more prominent and the human organism loses the capacity to endure decreases in temperature.
Blood vessels supplying the skin begin to shrink leading to a decrease in the capillary blood supply supporting the sweat glands. Decreased sweat glands impede the body's ability to rid itself of heat and maintain temperature homeostasis, placing the body at increased risk of heatstroke.
Nerve endings decrease in the skin resulting in decreased sensitivity to pain. A decreased pain response places the human organism at risk for injury. Healing slows as the once plentiful blood vessels supplying the nutrients required for tissue repair diminish. Melanocyte production slows leaving the skin vulnerable to harsh ultraviolet radiation. And lastly, the skin, once a viable method of synthesizing Vitamin D, fails to meet production. Decreased Vitamin D levels place the human organism at risk for skeletal injury and depression.
Integumentary System Review
Review the lesson material with the practice activities and extra resources.
Answer Key
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