Lect.

3 epithelial tissues o Semisolids-gi tract

Epithelia 2 types of epithelia

 Closely apposed cells 1. Cover or line all body surfaces, cavities and tubes -
 No or limited intercellular substances surface epithelia
 Avascular 2. Epithelium that is primarily involved in secretion is
 Derived from 3 germ layers: often arranged into structures called glands. -
o Ectodermal - skin glandular epithelia
o Mesodermal - inner lining of blood vessels
Surface epithelia are recognized based on 3
o Endodermal - inner lining of the gi tract
morphological characteristics:
Epithelial tissues rest on connective tissues
1. Number of cell layers
 Ex. Lamina 2. Shape of the component cells
propria – ct 3. Presence of surface
underneath digestive, specializations
respiratory lining o Keratin
epithelia. o Cilia
 Basement o Microvilli or brushborders /
membrane – structure stereocilia
that demarcates the Modifications on the apical surface of
underlying ct from epithelium. epithelial cells
– Underlying support where epithelial cells
are rested.  Microvilli
 Cilia
Basement membrane composition:
 Stereocilia
 Basal lamina – glycoproteins to which membrane
proteins of the epithelial cells are anchored in the
basal lamina.
o The 2 major glycoproteins - laminin and
Microvilli
type iv collagen
o Fxn: acts as a selective, permeable filter  Fingerlike process that protrude from the cells
between epithelium and connective tissue apical surface -em.
(ct).  Striated border or brush border in lm (fine vertical
 Reticular lamina - reticular fibers embedded in lines on cell surface)
ground substance that connect the basal lamina  To increase surface area of absorption.
with the underlying ct. It is synthesized by cells of  Particularly numerous in the intestinal mucosa.
the ct.  Core : consist of actin filament
Functions of epithelia Microvilli at the apical part of the cells – “brush
borders” (lm)
 Absorption - intestines
 Secretion - glands
 Sensation - gustative and olfactory neuroepithelium
 Contractility - myoepithelial cells – breast
 Regenerates quickly when subjected to trauma &
destruction.
 Epithelial exposure to different matters:
o Gases-integumentary & respiratory
o Liquids-circulatory & urinary
Cell with microvilli
Cilia (kinocilia) o Allows passage of tissue fluid into and out
of these cavities.
 Fingerlike extensions
 Present in cells specialized for transport of fluid or
mucus over the surface of the epithelium.
 Cilia are motile – beat sequentially or
synchronously in one direction.
 Core: microtubules that comprise the axoneme.

Stereocilia

 Essentially only microvilli that are as long as cilia.

 Non-motile
 In epithelial cells of ductus epididymis and “hair
cells” of the inner ear.

Classification of epithelia

 Alveoli
 Capillary - venule
 Endothelium -inner lining of blood vessels.

Importance of endothelium:

 Maintains the fluid nature of flowing blood

 Triggers blood clotting when needed
 Cell adhesion
 Transmits inflammatory signals
 Permit normal arterial dilatation

Mesothelium: lining of the pleural, pericardial and

peritoneal cavities

Simple epithelia

Simple squamous

 Lining surfaces involved in passive transport

(diffusion)
o Gases (as in the lungs)
o Fluids (as in the walls of blood capillaries).
 Forms the delicate lining of the pleural, pericardial
and peritoneal cavities
Simple cuboidal
 Lines small ducts and tubules that may have
excretory, secretory or absorptive
functions.
o Ex. Collecting tubules of the kidney and
the small excretory ducts of the salivary
glands and pancreas. Nephron kidney
tubules
Simple columnar
 Cells are taller and appear columnar
 Nuclei are elongated; basal, central, or apical
 Most often found on absorptive
surfaces such as in the small intestine.
 It may constitute the lining of
secretory surfaces such as that of the
stomach.
Simple columnar epithelium modifications:
Non-ciliated type - 1 layer of rectangular cells, often
containing goblet cells; (+) microvilli
 Organ: gi tract (stomach to anus), ducts of glands
and gallbladder
 Fxn: secretion and absorption
 All the cells rest on the basement membrane.
 Almost exclusively confined to the larger airways of
the respiratory system.
Mucociliary escalator
 Mucus secreted by
goblet cells are converyed on
the surface.
 Mucus traps foreign
material
 The cilia propel mucus with entrapped particles
towards the pharynx.
Kartagener’s syndrome – inherited abnormality in cilia,
compromising respiratory functions, with ineffective
clearance of mucus.
Stratified epithelia
 Epithelia consisting of two or more layers of cells.
 Function mainly for protection.
 The degree and nature of the stratification are
related to the kinds of physical stresses to which the
surface is exposed
 Note: a stratified epithelium is classified on the
basis of the shape of the cells in the top layer only

Ciliated type – (+) cilia

 Organ: parts of upper resp. Tract, uterine tubes,

uterus, central canal of spinal cord
 Fxn: moves fluids / particles along passageways

Simple columnar ciliated

 Found mainly in female reproductive tract

 Fallopian tube / uterine tube
 Ciliary action facilitates transport of the ovum / egg
from the ovary to the uterus.
Stratified squamous
Stratified squamous keratinized epithelium, skin keratin
layer basal cell layer squamous cell layer stratified cells.
Stratified squamous, non-keratinized (wet) stratified
cells squamous cell layer

 Example: lining of nose, mouth, esophagus, anal

canal, vagina.

Stratified cuboidal
Pseudostratified
 2< layers of cuboid cells
 A variant of simple columnar epithelium.  organs: ducts of sweat glands, male urethra
 The appearance in section conveys the erroneous  fxn: protection
impression that there is more than one layer of
cells.
Stratified columnar epithelium
Tight junction or occluding junction / zonula occludens
 Many polyhedral cell layers – columnar cells in
 “Occlude” – to block / hinder
superficial layer
 Most apically situated of the junctional complexes
 Organ: lines part of urethra, excretory ducts of
 A continuous belt-like junction
glands, anal mucous membrane
 zonula = latin for belt ; “zonula occludens”
 Fxn: protection and secretion
 Proteins in the membrane of adjacent cells called
 Stratified columnar ciliated epithelium, l- mammary
occludin interact with each other to produce this
tissue (nipple) excretory duct, r – parotid gland
tight seal.
Transitional epithelium  To seal the intercellular spaces so that luminal
contents cannot penetrate between the lining cells.
 Variable appearance –
 Common in transport
cuboid to squamous
epithelia.
 Organs: exclusively in
 Example: beneath the
excretory urinary passages
luminal surface of simple
(renal calyces and pelvis,
columnar epithelium
ureter, urinary bladder, and
part of the urethra). 46. Adherens junction / zonula adherens
 Fxn: permits distension
 Also called “belt desmosome”
Urinary bladder - highly specialized to accommodate a  Located just below tight/occluding jxn.
great degree of stretch and to withstand the toxicity of  Forms a band that completely encircles each
urine. ‘Relaxed‘(contracted) ‘Distended’ (stretched or epithelial cells.
uncontracted) transitional epithelium  Cell membranes of adjoining cells are very close but
neither adhere nor fuse.
 Separated by an intercellular space (15- 20 nm
wide)
 Particularly present in epithelia with microvilli or
cilia

47. Fig. Illustration of intercellular junctions of epithelial

Modifications on the lateral surfaces of epithelial cells.
cells
 Cell junctions / intercellular jxns. / junctional
complexes
 Bind epithelial cells to adjacent cells
 To provide physical strength and mediate exchange
of information and metabolites.
 The intimate contact between epithelial cells
ensures that materials passing through the
epithelium have to pass through the cells, rather
than between them.

Cell junctions • tight junctions • adherens junctions •

gap junctions • spot desmosomes
Spot desmosome

 Usually situated just below zonula adherens.

 They do not form a band around the epithelial cells
 (instead) button-like or rivet-like adhesions that are
arranged in a line
 At the desmosome junction, the cells are separated
by a relatively wide intercellular
space (about 30 nm)
 Spot desmosome particularly
numerous in keratinized squamous
epithelium.

Gap junction

 Also called “communicating” junction.

 Gap – broad areas
 Intercellular space is only 3 nm wide
 Apposed plasma membranes are perforated by tiny
tubes – “connexons”
 Connexon allow exchange of ions and small
molecules between Adjacent cells
 Gap junctions gap or nexus
junction = provide a conduit for
passage of small molecules
between adjacent cells.
 (ex: epithelium, cardiac &
smooth muscles)

Hemidesmosomes

 Modification on the basal

surfaces of epithelial cells.
 Half of a desmosome!
 Helps anchor the epithelial cells
to the underlying basal lamina
(basement membrane)

 Tight junctions prevent the diffusion of fluids and

solutes between the cells.
 A continuous adhesion belt lies deep to the tight
junction. This belt is tied to the microfilaments of
the terminal web. Terminal web Interlocking
junctional proteins
 Gap junctions permit the free diffusion of ions and
small molecules between two cells.
 A spot desmosome ties adjacent cells together.
 Hemidesmosomes attach a cell to extracellular
structures, such as the protein fibers in the
basement membrane.
GLANDULAR EPITHELIA
What is a GLAND?
 Epithelium that is primarily involved in secretion.
 An organized collection of secretory epithelial cells.
 Cells or aggregations of cells whose function is
secretion.
 Secretion – Exocytotic release of products, not
metabolic wastes
 Molecules to be secreted may be stored in
membrane bound secretory granules (vesicles)
Glands are merely invaginations of epithelial surfaces,
which are formed during embryonic development by
proliferation of epithelium into the underlying tissues.
Gland formation
 Exocrine glands – retain their connection with the
surface epithelium (form ducts) Ex: Salivary glands
Sudoriferous (sweat) glands
 Endocrine glands – lost their connection to surface
epithelium during development (form cords and
follicles) Ex: Thyroid gland
Cellular Composition
 Unicellular glands consist of isolated glandular cells.
Ex. Goblet cells:
o in the lining of the small intestine
o in the lining of the respiratory tract
 Goblet cells secrete the glycoprotein mucin, which
by the uptake of water is converted into a slimy
substance, mucus.
Multicellular glands are composed of
clusters of secretory cells.
 Secretory portion embedded in the CT.
Nature of secretion
Serous – watery, high affinity to stain (water-soluble).
Example - Sweat glands, Pancreatic glands, Parotid
glands.
Mucous – viscous, poor affinity to stains. Example -
Sebaceous glands, sublingual salivary glands.
Mixed – watery and mucous secretions. Example -
submandibular salivary gland.
Exocrine VS Endocrine
Exocrine Gland
 Release the secretory product via a system of ducts
that opens upon one of the surfaces of the body
which are in contact with the external environment.
 Have two parts: – secretory portion – duct
Endocrine gland
 Glands exuding secretions directly into body fluids,
ultimately blood.
 Secretory product (typically hormones) are released
into the spaces between the secretory cells
(extracellular space) from which it enters the
bloodstream.
Types of Glands
Paracrine glands - In some epithelia, individual cells
secrete a substance that does not reach the
bloodstream but rather affects other cells within the
same epithelium.
Exocrine glands / duct glands
 Secretory portion - contains the cells responsible
for the secretory process.
 Ducts - transport the secretions
Exocrine glands according to duct system:
Simple glands have only one unbranched duct.
Compound glands have ducts that branch repeatedly.
Exocrine glands according to cellular organization of
the secretory portion:
Simple glands can have their secretory portion in the
form of:
Tubule - a coiled tubule, a branched tubule
Acinus - in which the cells organize as spherical or
globular units; any rounded secretory units.
1. Large intestinal gland – secretory cells
line the entire duct. Simple tubular
Coiled tube section - A single coiled tube may
appear that it has many sections. Or a hollow
ball organ or hollow tube that yield a tissue preparation
like the given examples above.
2. Sweat glands – each consists of a single
tube that is tightly coiled. Simple coiled tubular
3. Mucus secreting gland of pylorus –
each gland consists of several tubular secretory
portion which converge into one duct. Simple
branched tubular
4. Mucus-secreting land of penile urethra
- Occur in the form of pockets in epithelial
surfaces. Simple acinar
5. Sebaceous gland- with several
secretory acini. Simple branched acinar
Compound glands can be tubular, acinar, or
tubuloacinar
6. Brunner’s gland of the
duodenum – duct system is branched;
secretory portion is tubular, branched
and coiled. Compound branched tubular
 7. Pancreas (exocrine) – each consists of
numerous acini which drain into a minute
duct (D) and drains into branched
excretory. Compound acinar
8. Submandibular salivary gland – has 2
types of secretory cells: mucus-secreting
cells (A – acinar) and serous cells (T –
tubular) with acinar end-pieces (D-
demilunes). Compound tubulo acinar

Secretion from exocrine glands may occur in one of

three ways:

Merocrine glands (eg, the pancreas), the

secretory granules leave the cell by
exocytosis with no loss of other cellular
material.

 Proteins are usually the major secretory

product.

Holocrine glands the product of secretion is

shed with the whole cell

 A process that involves destruction of

the secretion-filled cells. Example - sebaceous
glands

Apocrine gland- (Gr. apo, away from, +

krinein) intermediate type;—the secretory
product is discharged together with parts of
the apical cytoplasm .

 Lipid secretory products in the breasts

and some sweat glands.