integumenta

Integumenta is a term used in biology to refer to coverings or membranes that surround an organism or a structure. In modern English usage, it most often corresponds to the integumentary system of animals, the outer protective covering of the body. This system includes the skin and its derivatives, such as hair or fur, scales, feathers or plaques, nails or claws, glands, and sensory receptors. The integumentary system serves multiple roles, including protection from injury and infection, prevention of water loss, sensation, and, in some species, thermoregulation and camouflage. Integument tissues arise from embryonic layers and vary widely across taxa in thickness, composition, and complexity.

In botany and plant reproductive biology, the term integument (plural integuments) refers to the outer protective layer of an ovule that surrounds the nucellus. Most angiosperm ovules have two integuments—an outer and an inner layer—both of which typically develop into the seed coat after fertilization. Gymnosperm ovules generally have a single integument. The integument may contribute pigmented or protective tissues and ends in a micropyle, an opening through which pollen tubes can access the embryo sac during fertilization.

In some invertebrate contexts, integument can denote the outer body covering produced by the epidermis, often supplemented by a secreted cuticle. In arthropods, this outer covering is sometimes referred to as part of the exoskeleton.

Overall, integumenta encompasses various protective coverings across life forms, from the skin of animals to the seed coat of plants, reflecting the diverse ways organisms shield themselves from the environment.