Activity 4 – Integumentary System 🔬🎨

[1] Cat Skin with Hair

Description: The skin is the largest organ present in a cat’s body. It serves as a protection against the environment. It also helps in the regulation of temperature and gives the cat its sense of touch. Other important parts of the skin include the appendages such as the hair.

[2] Human Hair

Description: An adult human hair is around 20-180 um in width and generally grows to a length of approximately 90 cm. It is composed of a cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla. It functions through keeping an individual warm by preserving heat, especially in cold climates, and keeping out the heat in a hot environment.

[3] Human Brown Skin

Description: The skin is the largest organ in a human’s body that covers the external surface. It is made up of three layers: the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis. It is the body’s protective barrier against pathogens, ultraviolet light, chemicals, and mechanical injury. The brown color of the human skin is caused by melanin, wherein the greater melanin an individual has, the darker his skin color is.

[4] Toad Skin

Description: Toads have a moist and permeable skin layer covered with mucus glands. Their special skin allows them to breathe through their skin in addition to using their lungs. Due to their dry skin conditions, they are very vulnerable to water loss, hence, the reason why they need to reside in water, near water, or in moist environments.

References:

Moriello, K. (2018). Structure of the Skin in Cats. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/cat-owners/skin-disorders-of-cats/structure-of-the-skin-in-cats

Yang, F, Zhang, Y, & Rheinstadter, M. (2014). The structure of people’s hair. PeerJ, 2, 619. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201279/#:~:text=Human%20 scalp%20hair%20is%20a,the%20 cortex%20and%20the%20 medulla

Yousef H, Alhajj M, Sharma S. Anatomy, Skin (Integument), Epidermis. [Updated 2022 Nov 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470464/

Harwood, J. (2021). Frogs and Toads. https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-middle-school-life-science-2.0/section/10.9/primary/lesson/frogs-and-toads-ms-ls/