Histology

Lecture 2 Epithelia

What is a tissue?
A collection of cells that have similar functions and morphologies

Vertebrate Tissue Types

Epithelial Connective Muscle Nerve
Many organs/structures are combinations of these basic types

Features of Epithelial Tissues

Closely attached cells with very little extracellular matrix Cell to cell attachments strong Flat/curved sheets lining sufaces (G.I. Tract and vasculature)

Functions of Epithelia
Covering and lining surfaces (skin) Absorption (intestine) Secretion (glands of skin & GI tract) Sensation (taste buds, olfactory epith.) Contractility (myoepithelium of glands)

Epithelial Cell Shapes

Squamous (flattened) Cuboidal Columnar Nuclear Shape
spherical irregular flattened

All Epithelia Have A Basal Lamina

20-100 nm thick type 4 collagen, laminin, proteoglycans

2 main types of basement membrane A: 2 adjacent epithelial layers B: epithelium adjacent to connective tissue matrix

Basement Membrane Is Specialized and Thicker Than A Simple Basal Lamina

Kidney glomeruli and some tubules Lung alveoli and trachea

Epithelial Cells are Linked by Cell to Cell Junctions

Tight junction (zonula occludens) Belt desmosome (zonula adherens) Gap junction Desmosome Hemidesmosome

Apical Specializations of Epithelial Cells

Microvilli
brush border in kidney and small intestine

Stereocilia
epididymis, hair cells of organ of Corti

Cilia and Flagella

respiratory tract, oviduct, sperm

Types of Epithelia
Covering epithelia Glandular epithelia

Types of Covering Epithelia

Simple
one layer of cells

Stratified
more than one layer of cells

Types of Simple Epithelium

Simple squamous
endothelium of vessels; mesothelium

Simple cuboidal
kidney tubules, thyroid follicle, serosa of some organs

Simple columnar
small intestine, colon, stomach

Types of Simple Epithelium

Simple squamous

Simple cuboidal

Simple columnar

Types of Stratified Epithelium

Types of Stratified Epithelium

Classified by the shape of the most surface layer Stratified squamous keratinized - skin

Stratified squamous nonkeratinized

Oral cavity, esophagus, vagina

Stratified cuboidal
Sweat gland duct

Stratified columnar
Conjunctiva, duct of pancreas

Transitional epithelium
Urinary bladder

Pseudostratified epithelium
Respiratory tract, nasal/olfactory epithelia

Specialized Epithelia
Neuroepithelium - taste buds, organ of Corti, olfactory epithelium Myoepithelium - secretory glands such as salivary glands, sweat glands and mammary gland

Glandular Epithelia
Pancreas, adrenal medulla, sebaceous glands, salivary glands, mammary glands Sweat glands (little synthetic activity; transfer of molecules and ions from blood)

Types of Glandular Epithelia

Unicellular glands - goblet cells Multicellular glands
Endocrine glands: no ducts
cords of cells with vessels (adrenal cortex, parathyroid, anterior pituitary) follicular (thyroid)

Exocrine glands: ducts (salivary glands, pancreas, mammary glands, etc.)

Types of Exocrine Glands

Simple: secretory cells and one unbranched duct
tubular, coiled tubular, branched tubular, or acinar

Compound: secretory cells and branched ducts

tubular, acinar, or tubuloacinar

Examples of Glands
Individual glandular cells = respiratory tract and digestive tract goblet cells; endocrine cells of gut Simple tubular = stomach epithelium Simple coiled tubular = merocrine sweat gland Simple branched tubular = stomach epithelium Simple branched acinar = sebaceous gland Compound tubuloacinar = submandibular gland, sublingual gland Compound acinar gland = exocrine pancreas, parotid gland Compound tubular gland = some types of salivary glands Simple glands = one, unbranched duct Compound glands = branched ducts

Types of Secretion
Merocrine: membrane-bound granules by
exocytosis; pancreas, salivary glands

Holocrine: secretions released by bursting of

whole cell; sebaceous glands

Apocrine: secretions released as droplet with

cytoplasm from apical surface; mammary glands and apocrine sweat glands

Lamina Propria
Area of connective tissue and vasculature underlying epithelium Separated from epithelium by basal lamina

Mucous Secreting Cells

Goblet cell of intestine: large apical mucin granules, flattened basal nucleus, RER basal, Golgi apical Digestive tract, salivary glands, respiratory tract, reproductive system

Myoepithelial Cell
Stellate/spindle shaped Base of acinar and duct cells in glands Contain actin/myosin; contractile