Integumentary System Essay

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The integumentary system is responsible for many things, such as providing an external covering (skin) for our bodies, forming organs (sweat and oil glands), and creating tissues (nerves, connective, muscle, and epithelial). The skin is known as the largest organ of the human body. The integumentary system has numerous functions such as: protecting the body’s internal living tissues and organs, protects against invasion by infectious organisms, protects the body from dehydration, acts as a receptor for touch, pressure, pain, heat, and cold, and many more . This system works with all of the other systems of the body to maintain the internal conditions that a human body needs to function. There are numerous diseases that can afflict the integumentary system, one of them being Albinism. Albinism is a congenital disorder of the melanocytes. This disorder is caused by an absence or deficiency of tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme that’s essential to the production of melanin. When there is a total absence of melanin, it is known as amelanosis or amelanism. While a partial lack is referred to as hypomelanosis, or hypomelanism. …show more content…

Ocular Albinism may require genetic testing to diagnose and will result in light blue eyes. “Most people with oculocutaneous albinism appear white or very pale, as the melanin pigments responsible for brown, black, and some yellow colorations are not present.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albinism, n.d.) Genetically recessive alleles are passed from both parents through biological inheritance to an individual who has Oculocutanteous albinism. Albinism occurrence is typically equal in frequency in both sexes. Although there is an exception in regards to ocular albinism. Consequently, it is passed on to offspring through X-linked

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