Integumentary system worksheet

A Skin anatomy

A Fill in the missing words or figures:

1 Cutis is the Latin expression for ………………….

2 Corium is another word for …………………

3 The skin makes up for …………% of the overall body weight

4 The skin is ……………….mm thick.

5 The renewal cycle of skin cells takes ……….. days.


B Write each term from the box in its category:

loose connective tissue            eccrine sweat glands            Ruffini corpuscles
stratum lucidum    free nerve endings         veins       stratum spinosum              basal
layer              Merkel cells      elastic layer            sebaceous glands           Langerhans
cells                             Meissner’s corpuscles                 hair
follicles                                             papillary layer          stratum corneum

adipose cells               arteries            lymph channels               nerves
stratum granulosum


C Answer these questions:

1 The video mentions some factors the skin protects us against. Which?

2 In which part of the skin are keratinocytes and what is their function?

3 In which part of the skin are melanocytes and what is their function?

B Skin disorders word transformation

Fill in the missing words and then match the definitions to medical terms.

1 A ______________ reaction, the skin develops read raised areas. (ALLERGY)

2 An ____________ feeling on the skin which makes you want to rub it. (COMFORT)

3 A _____________ read swelling on the skin that contains liquid. (PAIN)

4 An inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, usually associated with excess _________ of
sebum. (SECRETE)

5 An ulcer caused by _____________ to an area of the body, as from a bed or chair. (PRESS)

6 Inflammation of the skin caused by ______________________ to the sun. (EXPOSE)


C Skin disorders gap-fill

Cold sores are a very common health problem. More ____ (1) 60 percent of Americans have had a cold
sore. Nearly 25 percent of ______ (2) individuals have repeated outbreaks of cold sores. Cold sores
are also ______ (3) as fever blisters or oral herpes. They are usually caused by herpes simplex
virus 1 (HSV1).

Most people are first infected with HSV1 ______ (4) the age of ten. Once the virus enters the body,
it remains there _____ (5) life. Cold sores are painful blisters filled with fluid. They usually
occur on the lips. By contrast, canker sores usually occur on the tongue, inside the cheeks, or
_______ (6) in the mouth.

Genital herpes are also painful blisters filled with fluid. They are caused by a close relative of
HSV1, herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2). A common rule of thumb is that HSV1 causes infections _____
(7) the waist and HSV2 causes infections below the waist. But that rule is not completely true.
_____ (8) virus can cause infections above or below the waist.

Viruses _____ (9) enter the body often go through a latency period. A latency period is a stage
during which the virus goes into hiding. It can be found in cells, but it is not active. There are
_____ (10) external symptoms that the virus is in the body.

D Skin cancer

A True or false?

1 Malignant melanoma develops from pigment cells.

2 The cancer always starts as a new or irregular ulcer.

3 It is deadly, because it can spread all over the skin.

4 These cancer cells use only the lymph nodes and vessels to move around.

5 Tracy isn’t at risk of developing another melanoma, even if she has had one before.

B Complete the missing word.

1 Once the malignant melanoma has __________ or metastasised, you’re likely beyond the _________ of
a cure

2 The cells ________ into the lymphatic system where vessels __________ them to other parts of the
body

3 Researchers at Mayo clinic continue to __________ for ways to ___________ this deadly disease

4 Tracy is meticulous about ___________, protective _____________ about seeing her doctor regularly

C Answer the questions

1 What is the best protection against skin cancer?

2 As a prevention measure, you should check your moles. What should you pay attention to?


E Passive voice

1 A team of surgeons has operated on the patient.

                The patient ___________________________ a team of surgeons.

2 The doctor will have repaired my tooth by tomorrow.

                My tooth ________________________________ the doctor by tomorrow.

3 Doctor Murdoch is examining your daughter now.

                Your daughter __________________________________ doctor Murdoch.

4 Researchers invented new treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma last year.

                New treatment ______________________________________ last year.

5 The instrument is called scales. We measure the body weight with it.

                The instrument ___________________________________ body weight is called scales.

6 A patient was admitted yesterday. His brain had been damaged in an accident.

                The patient ____________________________________ was admitted yesterday.

7 Charles Darwin was a famous scientist. You have never heard of him.

                Charles Darwin ________________________________ was a famous scientist.

8 He wrote a seminal book. I can’t remember the name of the book.

                He wrote __________________________________________ I can’t remember.