7.1 The human body

7.1.3 The integumentary system

The integumentary system is the organ system that protects the body from various kinds of damage, such as loss of water or external abrasion. The system comprises the skin and its appendages (including hair and nails). The system’s functions vary and serve to waterproof, cushion, and protect the deeper tissues; excrete wastes, and regulate temperature; and the system is the attachment site for sensory receptors to detect pain, sensation, pressure, and temperature. With significant exposure to sunlight, the integumentary system also provides for vitamin D synthesis.

As far as the medical profession is concerned, the skin and the various sensory receptors will be the main sources for patients seeking medical advice. One set of names has already been applied to the skeletal sections of the body (two when we consider the Latin terms), but when people seek medical advice they use a different set.