Histology of Skin

Appendages

Hair
It is composed of dead, keratinized
epidermal cells bonded together by
extracellular proteins.

Hair
Shaft of a hair:
is the superficial portion of
hair
most of it projects from
surface of the skin.

Hair
Root of a hair:
is the portion of the hair
deep to the shaft that
penetrates into the
dermis

Hair
Both shaft and root consist of
three layers:
The inner medulla
composed of two or three rows
of irregularly shaped cells
Cells contain pigment
granules and air spaces.

Hair
Both shaft and root consist of three
layers:

The middle cortex

forms the major part of shaft
consists of elongated cells
that contain pigment
granules

Hair
Both shaft and root consist of three
layers:

The cuticle
The outermost layer
Consists of a single layer of thin,
flat cells
This cuticle cells are the most
heavily keratinized

Why do
humans
have
arrector
pili
muscles?

Hair
Hair follicle
Made up of external and

internal root sheathes,

together referred to as an
epithelial root sheath
Surrounds the root of the

hair

Hair
External root sheath
It is a downward continuation of the
epidermis.
Number of the epidermal layers it
contains depends on their location:
All layers near the surface of the skin
At the base of the hair follicle, stratum
basale only.

Hair
Internal root sheath
is produced by the hair matrix
forms a cellular tubular sheath of
epithelium between the external root
sheath and the hair.

 Dermal root sheath

dense dermis
surrounding the hair
follicle

Hair
Bulb
Consists of base of each hair
follicle and its surrounding
dermal root sheath
It houses papilla of the
hair

Hair
Papilla
a nipple-shaped indentation
It contains hair matrix, areolar
connective tissue and blood vessels
that nourish the growing hair follicle.

Hair
Hair matrix
a germinal layer of cells
Hair matrix cells arise from the
stratum basale
They are responsible for:
growth of existing hairs
Replacing of hairs when old hairs are
shed
Giving rise to the cells of the internal
root sheath.

Hair
Arrector pili
A bundle of smooth muscle

cells associated with hairs

Extends from superficial

dermis to the connective

tissue sheath around hair
follicle.

Hair
Hair root plexus
Formed by dendrites of
neurons surrounding each
hair follicle
It initiates nerve impulses if
the hair shaft is moved

Skin Glands
Exocrine associated with the skin
are:
Sebaceous (oil) glands
Sudoriferous (sweat) glands
Ceruminous glands
Mammary glands

Sebaceous Glands
simple, branched acinar glands
With few exceptions, they are
connected to hair follicles
They are found over all regions
of the body except palms and
soles

Sebaceous Glands
vary in size and shape
most numerous where hairs are most
numerous
small in most areas of the trunk and
limbs
large in the skin of the breasts, face,
neck, and upper chest.

Sebaceous Glands
Secreting portion:

Lies in the dermis

opens into:
Usually, neck of the hair follicle.
lips, glans penis, and labia minora,
directly onto the surface of skin

Sudoriferous Glands
Their secretions are:
Released by exocytosis
Emptied onto the skin surface through pores
or into hair follicles.

Depending on structure and type of

secretion, classified as either eccrine or
apocrine

Sudoriferous Glands
Eccrine/merocrine
sweat glands
simple,coiled tubular glands
much more common than
apocrine sweat glands.

Sudoriferous Glands
Eccrine/merocrine sweat glands
distributed throughout the body, except
lips, nail beds, glans penis, glans clitoris,
labia minora, and eardrums.
most numerous in forehead, palms, and
soles

Sudoriferous Glands
Eccrine/merocrine sweat glands
secretory portion is located in the
deep dermis
excretory duct ends as a pore at the
surface of the epidermis
On the palms and soles, they open
along the apex of epidermal ridges
fingerprint

Sudoriferous Glands
Functions of eccrine sweat
glands
Thermoregulation
During fear and embarrassment
Excretion

Sudoriferous Glands
Apocrine sweat glands
simple, coiled tubular glands
They are found mainly in the skin
of the axilla, groin, areolae of the
breasts, and bearded regions of
the face in adult males.
release their secretions by
exocytosis

Sudoriferous Glands
Apocrine sweat glands
secretory portion
is located mostly in the
subcutaneous layer
Surrounded by vascular
connective tissue containing
numerous nerve endings.

Sudoriferous Glands
Apocrine sweat glands
Excretory duct
opens into hair follicles
Surrounded by the myoepithelial cells
Myoepithelial cells
muscle-like contractile epithelial cells
help squeeze out the secretions from the
gland into the hair follicle

Sudoriferous Glands

Apocrine sweat glands

are stimulated during emotional stress
and sexual excitement--cold sweat.
are not active during thermoregulatory
sweating.
Secretions contains components of
eccrine sweat plus lipids and proteins.

Ceruminous Glands
Modified sweat glands in the external ear
Produce a yellowish waxy lubricating secretion
Secretory portions of lie in the subcutaneous layer
Excretory ducts open either directly onto the surface
of the external auditory canal or into ducts of
sebaceous glands.
Combined secretion of the ceruminous and sebaceous
glands is called cerumen or earwax.

Ceruminous Glands
Cerumen
provides a sticky barrier that prevents
the entrance of foreign bodies
waterproofs the canal and keeps
bacteria and fungi from entering cells.

Nails
They are plates of tightly packed, hard,

dead keratinized epidermal cells.

Each nail consists of a nail body, a free

edge, and a nail root

Nails
Nail body (plate)
is the visible portion of the nail.
It is comparable to the stratum corneum of epidermis,
but it has a harder type of keratin and the cells are
not shed.
Below it is a layer of epithelium and a deeper layer of
dermis.
It appears pink because of blood flowing through
underlying capillaries.

Nails
Free edge
Is the part of the nail body that may extend and
pass the distal end of the digit.
white because there are no underlying capillaries.

Nail rootpart of the nail that is buried in a

fold of skin.
Lunulawhitish, crescent-shaped area
proximal to nail body

Nails
Hyponychium or nail bed
a thickened region of stratum corneum beneath
free edge
secures the nail to the fingertip.

Eponychium or cuticle
is a narrow band of epidermis that extends from
and adheres to the margin
occupies the proximal border of the nail
consists of stratum corneum.

Nails
Nail matrix
proximal portion of epithelium deep to the
nail root
The superficial nail matrix cells divide
mitotically to produce new nail cells.
Nail growth occurs by the transformation of
superficial nail matrix cells into new nail cells.

Nails
Functions:
1. They protect the distal end of the digits.
2. They provide support and counter pressure
to the palmar surface of the fingers:
to enhance touch perception and manipulation.
allow us to grasp and manipulate small objects

3. They can be used to scratch and groom the

body in various ways.