Posted by The integumentary system comprises the skin, hair, nails, sweat glands, and sebaceous gland and its appendages acting to protect the body from various damage, such as loss of water or damage from outside organisms, and pathogens. All five will work together simultaneously to stop the body from being infected and impacted by outside bacteria. The integumentary
system is a defense system- always trying to protect, while the outside organisms are an offense system- always on the attack. The integumentary system is susceptible to a variety of diseases, disorders, and injuries that can cause a wide range of potential damage to the skin, like benign bacterial or fungal infections, skin disorders, skin cancer, and severe burns, which can be fatal if not treated effectively. The game of chess will create the integumentary system getting attack by outside organisms and how all work together to attack and protect the body.
Pawn equals the skin, Knight equals the hair, Rook equals the nails, Queen equals the sweat glands, Bishop equals the sebaceous glands, and finally, the most important piece is the King, which equals the human body/brain. All the pieces are there to protect the body and brain from infection.
I learned that the integumentary system is a complicated network of glands, organs and their appendages that is designed to work together and protect the body from a variety of threats. These threats can originate both externally as well as internally and can range anywhere from bacteria, viruses, and burns; all the way to cancers, dehydration and hypothermia. By thinking outside of the box, and using chess as a way to creatively showcase this system; James is able to successfully demonstrate how effective the integumentary system can be at combating threats. He also clearly illuminates the immense complexity involved in coordinating so many independent systems and the challenges that exist in order to focus them cohesively on a single goal. My favorite part of James’ presentation was when he had his army of pawns (skin) defend against a horde of invading bacteria and hold the line long enough for his knight (hair) to launch its own offensive. Though one of the most surprising things I learned through this presentation, was that our sweat glands produce a natural antibiotic that aids in protecting the skin and hair. Overall I thought that James did a fantastic job on his STEAM project and was impressed not only by how informative it was, but also by how creatively it was presented.