The integumentary system consists of the skin, which is composed of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. It serves many purposes, namely protective, sensory, thermoregulatory, metabolic, and sexual signaling functions.

The epidermis of thick skin is made of five layers – the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, startum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum. Palmar skin found on the palm of the hands and the soles of the feet has ridges that aid in gripping objects. The darkening of brown skin as a reaction to ultraviolet exposure is the work of melanocytes, which produces melanin to protect the DNA from damage. The scalp contains many hair follicles, which serve to preserve heat, as well as sebaceous glands that produce oil (Mescher, 2021).

Mescher, A. (2021). Junqueira’s basic histology: Text & atlas. McGraw-Hill Education.