Anatomy & Physiology › Section E · The integumentary system › Topic E.3
Functions of the integumentary system
Skin is a barrier, a sense organ, a radiator and a chemical factory all at once. Each of these jobs depends on a structure from the previous two topics, so knowing the layers and accessory structures lets you explain how the skin keeps the body safe, informed, at the right temperature and supplied with vitamin D.
In this topic
- One organ, many jobs
- Protection: three kinds of barrier
- Skin as a sense organ
- Thermoregulation: losing heat
- Thermoregulation: keeping heat in
- Worked example: cooling by sweat
- Vitamin D synthesis
- Worked example: tracing a vitamin D shortage
- Smaller functions and aging
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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