Ch 43: Skin System for the MCAT: Help and Review
About This Chapter
Who's it for?
Anyone who needs help learning or mastering MCAT material will benefit from taking this course. You will be able to grasp the subject matter faster, retain critical knowledge longer and earn higher scores. You're in the right place if you:
- Have fallen behind in understanding the role skin plays in maintaining homeostasis
- Need an efficient way to learn about the skin system
- Learn best with engaging auditory and visual tools
- Struggle with learning disabilities or learning differences, including autism and ADHD
- Experience difficulty understanding your teachers
- Missed class time and need to catch up
- Can't access extra MCAT review resources at school
How it works:
- Start at the beginning, or identify the topics that you need help with.
- Watch and learn from fun videos, reviewing as needed.
- Refer to the video transcripts to reinforce your learning.
- Test your understanding of each lesson with short quizzes.
- Submit questions to one of our instructors for personalized support if you need extra help.
- Verify you're ready by completing the Skin System for the MCAT chapter exam.
Why it works:
- Study Efficiently: Skip what you know, review what you don't.
- Retain What You Learn: Engaging animations and real-life examples make topics easy to grasp.
- Be Ready on Test Day: Use the Skin System for the MCAT chapter exam to be prepared.
- Get Extra Support: Ask our subject-matter experts any skin system question. They're here to help!
- Study With Flexibility: Watch videos on any web-ready device.
Students will review:
In this chapter, you'll learn the answer to questions including:
- What is the function and structure of human skin?
- What are the types of epithelial tissue?
- What is the skin's role in homeostasis and osmoregulation?
- What physical protection is provided by skin?
- How do the epidermal and dermal layers differ?
- What are some accessory structures of the integumentary system?

1. Human Skin: Layers, Function & Structure
The human skin has several layers and each one of them contains different components. Discover the function and structure of three main layers of your skin, including the epidermis, dermis, and subcutis, check the different cells and tissues of the skin layers, and see why sunbathing at the beach is risky.

2. What Is Epithelial Tissue? - Function, Types & Structure
Epithelial tissue covers the cavities and surfaces of the body's organs. Learn about the types, function, and structure of epithelial tissue, including pseudostratified columnar epithelium and transitional epithelial tissue. Understand columnar, cuboidal, and squamous cell shapes, as well as simple and stratified cell arrangements.

3. Homeostasis and Temperature Regulation in Humans
Humans, as well as other mammals and birds, need a stable body temperature. Learn how temperature is regulated in humans by exploring homeostasis, thermoregulation, and hypothalamus, and also understand the difference between endotherms and ectotherms.

4. The Integumentary System: The Epidermal Layer
The integumentary system of human skin and accessory structures comprise the largest organ in the body. Explore the functions and layers, including the epidermal layer, and review and understand the purposes of the stratums, including basale, spinosum, granulosum, lucidum, and corneum.

5. The Integumentary System: The Dermal Layer
The layers and structures of skin below the top layer of cells is known as the dermis, and is integral in supporting the integumentary system. Discover the features and functions of the papillary, reticular, and hypodermic layers in protecting the body from illness.

6. The Integumentary System Accessory Structures: Hair
The integumentary system is the scientific name for the skin and its accessory structures. Study the definition of skin accessory structures, the functions and structure of the hair, and hair loss.

7. The Integumentary System Accessory Structures: Nails
In the human and animal bodies, the integumentary system includes the skin and accessory structures such as hair, nails, and sweat glands. Learn about the role and structure of human nails, and recognize how they differ from animals' claws. Review what nails are made of, and explore their functions.

8. The Integumentary System Accessory Structures: Glands
Your integumentary system is located in your skin, and is responsible for producing both oil and sweat. Explore the accessory structures of the integumentary system, and take a look at two of the accessory structures that secrete substances from inside your body to the outside: the sweat glands and the sebaceous glands. the sebaceous glands and sweat glands, and what they do for the body.

9. What Are Pores? - Definition & Function
Pores are tiny openings on a surface, the structure of an organism, or human skin through which gasses or other substances can pass unencumbered. Learn more about the definition of pores in mammals and birds and cells and plants, and also common functions of pores in feeding, ambulation, reproduction, respiration, and sensory perception.
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- MCAT Prep: General Info
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- Human Senses
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- States of Human Consciousness
- Memory
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- Emotion
- Stress
- Genetics, Evolution & Environmental Influences on Behavior
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- Personality Components & Assessment
- Psychological Health & Disorders
- Motivation Types and Sources
- Attitude Types and Theories
- Types of Social Groups & Organizations
- Theories of Deviance & Social Control
- Learning and Conditioning
- Understanding the Self
- Prejudice & Discrimination
- Social Behavior
- Social Structure
- Families, Religions & Schools as Social Institutions
- Political & Economic Systems
- Health and Medicine
- Culture, Socialization & Social Interaction
- Population and Migration
- Sex and Gender Roles
- Social Status
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