Essay On The Integumentary System

The integumentary system is comprised of the skin’s two layers, the dermis and epidermis, as well as hair, nails, glands, and nerves. Underlying the skin is the subcutaneous layer, or hypodermis, this layer is not a part of the integumentary system but is vital to its function. Made up of a layer of loose connective tissue the hypodermis serves to connect the skin to underlying muscle and bone (142). The hypodermis also assists the overlying skin by supplying it with blood vessels and nerves (Vanputte, Regan, & Russo 149). Superficial to the hypodermis is the deepest skin layer, the dermis. The dermis is responsible for the strucutural integrity of the skin, supplying the epidermis with blood, and regulating body temperature (“SEER Training: Layers of the Skin”). Sweat glands, hair …show more content…
The integumentary system is also responsible for the production of vitamin D which is necessary for regulating calcium levels that allow for bone metabolism, nerve, and muscle function (Vanputte, Regan, & Russo 156). The integumentary system also plays a small part in excretion through the removal of waste products through sweat (Vanputte, Regan, & Russo 156). The integumentary system plays a vital role in thermoregulation, keeping internal body temperature constant despite variable external conditions (Boundless). An increase in body temperature, from exercise, fever, or increased environmental temperature, necessitates that excess heat be lost in order to maintain homeostasis (Vanputte, Regan, & Russo 155). Excess heat loss is accomplished by the process of vasodilation, the expansion of blood vessel size, which allows for increased blood flow toward the skin’s surface (Boundless). The increase of warm blood at the skin’s surface allows the body to release heat from the skin through radiation (Boundless). The increase in body temperature also prompts the production of sweat, which cools the body as it dries by whisking heat away through the