The Integumentary System
The integumentary system is the external covering of the body, including skin, hair, nails and sweat glands. The integumentary system is responsible for excreting wastes and regulating temperature, and is the location of sensory receptors for pain, pressure and temperature. In the Integumentary System Web Guide, beginners and experts alike will find helpful, informative Web sites on the integumentary system.
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Expand All Guide SectionsIntroduction to the Integumentary System
The integumentary system may not sound as interesting as some other parts of the body, but bear in mind that the skin is the largest organ in the human body. The following sites provide an introduction to the integumentary system as a whole and are appropriate for a general audience.
Insights for the Integumentary System
- You many encounter technical terminology in your research on the integumentary system, but the sites below provide definitions for any advanced terms.
Top Sites for the Integumentary System
Online Biology Book, presented by Michael J. Farabee, Ph.D., a biology professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, gives an overview of the integumentary system that’s understandable to the nonscientist (all scientific terms link directly to a glossary).
Merck Source presents The Body Guide, an interactive tutorial that covers the integumentary system. Use the links on the right to explore specific topics.
AL’s Tutorial: The Integumentary System is written in simple, nontechnical language yet covers the integumentary system in supreme detail. The text is full of hyperlinks that bring up detailed drawings or images.
Integumentary System for Kids
Need help explaining the integumentary system? Use the sites below to get basic information on the integumentary system for kids.
Insights for the Integumentary System for Kids
- Teaching kids about the science of the skin is a good way to help them recognize the relative unimportance of skin color.
Top Sites for the Integumentary System for Kids
Biology4Kids.com gives a brief, kid-friendly explanation of the integumentary system, stressing especially the importance of the skin and its secretions.
Children’s Hospital Boston provides a succinct overview of the skin and skin-related conditions. The site is created for parents whose child may be suffering from a skin condition, but the language is simple enough to be used with kids.
Discovery Kids has a section on “Teaching with The Human Body” that offers a number of project ideas for teachers to use after they’ve taught students the basics of the integumentary system (scroll down to the “Skin” heading to find it).
Advanced Integumentary System Resources
Anatomy professors in search of images and supplemental lecture material, scientists researching skin cancer and college biology students preparing for an exam are all sure to benefit from advanced integumentary system resources found online.
Insights for Advanced Integumentary System Resources
- When searching for further information on your own, assess the credibility of a site by checking its source. Sites created by medical associations, hospitals, universities and government agencies can usually be relied on for accurate information.
Top Sites for Advanced Integumentary System Resources
School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia provides an in-depth, comprehensive discussion of the integumentary system. The thorough, technically specific text includes numerous slides showing, for example, the various layers of the skin, hair follicles and sweat glands.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has an overview of the integumentary system and its functions with several images.
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