The document provides an overview of the integumentary system, including the skin, hair, nails, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands. It describes the three layers of the skin, as well as common diseases and conditions that affect the integumentary system such as burns, skin cancer, wounds, hair problems, and nail issues. The objectives are to define medical terminology related to the integumentary system and describe common diseases and treatments.

1. Terminology in Healthcare and
Public Health Settings
Integumentary System
This material (Comp 3 Unit 2) was developed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, funded by the
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology under Award Number 90WT0007.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org.

2. Integumentary System
Learning Objectives
• Objectives
– Define, understand and correctly pronounce
medical terms related to the integumentary
system
– Describe common diseases and conditions
with an overview of various treatments related
to the integumentary system
2

3. Integumentary System Overview
• Organs of the
integumentary system
– Skin
– Hair
– Nails
– Sebaceous glands
– Sweat glands
Source: (MedlinePlus, 2011)
3

4. Integumentary System Overview 2
• Covers the entire surface of the body
• Functions
– Protects against infection
– Houses nerve receptors
– Secretes fluids
– Regulates temperature
4

5. The Skin
Three layers
– Epidermis – thin,
outer membrane
layer
– Dermis – middle,
fibrous connective
tissue layer
– Subcutaneous
layer – inner most
layer of fatty tissue
5
(Don Blis, illustrator)

6. Accessory Organs
• Located within dermis
• Include:
– Hair
– Nails
– Sweat glands
– Sebaceous glands
6

7. Burns
• There are three types of
burns:
– First-degree burns damage
only the outer layer of skin
– Second-degree burns damage
the outer layer and the layer
underneath
– Third-degree burns damage
or destroy the deepest layer of
skin and tissues underneath
7

8. Skin Cancer
• Most common form of cancer
in the US
– Common types
o Basal cell cancer
o Squamous cell cancer
o Location
 Head, face, neck, hands and
arms
– Melanoma
o more dangerous
o less common
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9. Skin Cancer 2
• Anyone can get skin cancer,
but it is more common in
people who
– Spend a lot of time in the sun
– Have been sunburned
– Have light-colored skin, hair and
eyes
– Have a family member with skin
cancer
– Are over age 50
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10. Wounds
• Include cuts, scrapes, scratches and punctured
skin
• Often occur as a result of:
– an accident or injury
– surgical incisions
– sutures
– stitches
• Minor wounds usually aren't serious, but even
cuts and scrapes require care
10

11. Common Hair Problems
• Include hair loss, infections, and disorders causing
itching and scaling
• Hair loss (alopecia) is a frequent concern for both men
and women.
– Male pattern baldness
o most common cause of hair loss in men
o receding hair line
o baldness on the top of the head
– Female pattern baldness
o hair becomes thin over the entire scalp
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12. Common Hair Problems 2
• Infections of the scalp
– bacterial infection of hair follicles
– head lice infestation
– fungal infection of scalp or ringworm
• Itching and excessive flaking of the scalp
– dandruff
– psoriasis
12

13. Problems With Nails
• Clue to your overall health
• Healthy nails
– smooth
– consistent in color
• Specific types of nail discoloration and changes
in growth rate can signal
– lung, heart, kidney and liver diseases
– diabetes and anemia
13

14. Integumentary System
Combining Forms
Key Word Forms Meaning Sample Term
Cry/o Cold Cryosurgery
Cutane/o Skin Cutaneous
Derm/o Skin Dermatitis
Kerat/o Hard, horny Keratosis
Lip/o Fat Liposuction
Py/o Pus pyogenic
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15. Tell me, Detective . . .
• Jane is seen in the ER with skin
on her arm that is red, swollen,
painful, and blanches when
touched. The skin has also
developed oozing blisters. This
is indicative of
– First-degree burns
– Second-degree burns
– Third-degree burns
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16. Integumentary System
Summary
• Define, understand and correctly pronounce
various medical terms related to the
integumentary system
• Describe common diseases and conditions with
an overview of various treatments related to the
integumentary system
16

17. Integumentary System
References
References
MedlinePlus [Internet]. Skin, hair and nails. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US);
[updated 2011 Jul 27]. Available from: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
Images
Slide 3: Available From: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
Slide 5: Don Blis, illustrator. Available From: commons.wikimedia.org
Slide 7: Available From: en.wikipedia.org
Slide 7: Available From: en.wikipedia.org
Slide 7: Craig0927. Available From: en.wikipedia.org
Slide 8,9: Available From: www.cancer.gov
Slide 15: Clip Art, Available from: Microsoft clips online; Used with permission from Microsoft
17

18. Terminology in Healthcare and
Public Health Settings
Integumentary System
This material was developed by the
University of Alabama at Birmingham,
funded by the Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of the National
Coordinator for Health Information
Technology under Award Number
90WT0007.
18