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CONTENTS
 DEFINITION
 FUNCTIONS
 CLASSIFICATION
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SKIN AND OMM
 HISTOLOGY OF ORAL MUCOSA
 THE EPITHELIUM
 LAMINA PROPRIA
 KERATINIZATION
 STRUCTURAL VARITIONS

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DEFINITION

 IT IS DEFINED AS A MOIST LINING OF

ORAL CAVITY THAT COMMUNICATES
WITH THE EXTERIOR
 MUCOUS MEMBRANE ARE ALSO FOUND
LINING OTHER BODY CAVITIES SUCH
AS SINUSES, GIT, UTERUS AND ETC.
 ORAL MUCOSA IS LOCATED
ANATOMICALLY BETWEEN SKIN AND GI
TRACT

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FUNCTIONS
 PROTECTION
 SENSATION
 SECRETION
 THERMAL REGULATION

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BOUNDARIES OF ORAL CAVITY

 ORAL CAVITY IS SEPERATED FROM

VESTIBULE BY ALVEOLUS BEARING TEETH
AND GINGIVA
 SUPERIORLY---- HARD PALATE AND SOFT
PALATE
 INFERIORLY----- FLOOR OF THE MOUTH
AND BASE OF TONGUE
 POSTERIORLY----- PILLARS OF FAUCES
AND TONSILS

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CLASSIFICATION
 ORAL MUCOSA SOME TIMES SHOWS THE
STRUCTURAL VARIATIONS IN DIFFERENT
REGIONS OF ORAL CAVITY TO SUIT THE
FUNCTIONAL NEEDS OF ORAL CAVITY
 ACCORDING TO THIS THERE ARE MAINLY 3
TYPES AND ARE
 1.MASTICATORY MUCOSA --- 25%
 2.LINING MUCOSA --- 60%
 3.SPECIALIZED MUCOSA --- 15%
 IT IS ALSO CLASSIFIED AS
 1.KERATINIZED MUCOSA
 2.NONKERATINIZED MUCOSA
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 ORAL MUCOSA IS MORE DEEPLY COLOURED
THAN THE SKIN
ORAL MUCOSA IS MOIST BUT SKIN IS NOT
ORAL MUCOSA DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY HAIR
FOLLICLES BUT SKIN CONTAINS
ORAL MUCOSA MAINLY CONTAIN LARGE
AMOUNTS OF MINOR SALIVARY GLANDS,
WHERE AS SKIN CONTAINS LARGE AMOUNTS
OF SEBACIOUS GLANDS
ORAL MUCOSAIS MORE SMOOTH THAN THE
SKIN
ORAL MUCOA IS LESS FIRM COMPARED TO
SKIN
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HISTOLOGY OF ORAL
MUCOSA
 THERE ARE MAINLY 2 COMPONENTS
 1.ORAL EPITHELIUM MADE UP OF STRATIFIED
SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
 2.UNDERLYING CONNECTIVE TISSUE CALLED LAMINA
PROPRIA
 THE INTERFACE BETWEEN EPITHELIUM AND
CONNECTIVE TISSUE IS USUALLY IRREGULAR AND
UPWARD PROJECTIONS OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
CALLED THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE PAPILLAE
 THESE PAPILLAE INTERDIGITATE WITH EPITHELIAL
RIDGES
 THE STRUCTURAL INTERFACE BETWEEN EPITHELIUM
AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE CALLED THE BASEMENT
MEMBRANE
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THE EPITHELIUM

 IT IS DERIVED FROM THE EMBRYONIC

ECTODERM
 THE CELLS VARY FROM CUBOIDAL TO
FLAT SQUAMOUS CELLS
 THIS EPITHELIUM MAY BE KERATINIZED
OR NON KERATINIZED DEPENDING UPON
THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
 KERATINIZED EPITHELIUM MAY BE
ORTHO OR PARA KERATINIZED

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CONTINUED

 KERATINIZED EPITHELIUM HAS

FOLLOWING LAYERS, FROM BELOW TO
UPWARDS
 1.STRATUM BASALE
 2.STRATUM SPINOSUM
 3.STRATUM GRANULOSUM
 4.STRATUM CORNEUM

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STRATUM BASALE

 THEY ARE PRESENT ABOVE THE BASEMENT MEMBRANE

 THEY ARE CUBOIDAL OR LOW COLUMNAR CELLS
 THEY ARE USUALLY SINGLE LAYER OF CELLS
 THIS LAYER HAS MAINLY 2 TYPES OF CSLLS
 1.PROGENITOR CELLS WHICH PROLIFERATES AND GIVES
RISE TO NEW CELLS
 2.MATURING CELLS
 CELLS OF THE BASAL LAYER SHOWS MOST MITOTIC ACTIVITY
 HENCE THIS LAYER ALSO CALLED GERMINATIVE LAYER
 THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE BASEMENT MEMBRANE BY
HEMIDESMOSOMAL JUNCTIONS

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STRATUM SPINOSUM

 PRESENT JUST ABOVE THE BASAL LAYER

 THEY ARE OF SEVERAL LAYERS
 THIS LAYER ALSO CALLED AS PRICKLE
CELL LAYER
 IN THIS THE CELLS ARE ATTACHED TO
EACH OTHER BY DESMOSOMAL
JUNCTIONS

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STRATUM GRANULOSUM

 PRESENT ABOVE THE SPINOUS LAYER

 THE CELLS ARE STILL FLAT AND WIDE
 THIS IS OF 2-3 LAYERS THICK
 MAINLY CONTAIN LARGE AMOUNTS OF
KERATOHYALINE GRANULES
 MEMBRANE COATING ODDLAND BODIES
ARE ALSO SEEN

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STRATUM CORNEUM

 THEY CONTAIN NO CELLS

 AS THESE CELLS ARE SHED OFF IN THIS
LAYER
 THE CELLS ARE USUALLY DEHYDRATED
 IN CASE OF ORTHIKERATINIZED LAYER
THERE IS NO RETENSION OF NUCLEI
 IN PARAKERATINIZED LAYER THERE IS
RETENTION OF NUCLEI

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NON KERATINIZED
EPITHELIUM
 THIS HAS FOLLOWING LAYERS
 1.STRATUM BASALE
 2.STRATUM INTERMEDIUM
 3.STRATUM SUPERFECIAL
 BASAL LAYER IS SIMILAR TO THE
KERATINIZED EPITHELIUM
 SPINOUS LAYER HAS LARGE CELLS THAT
DO NOT SHOW PRICKLY APPEARANCE
 SUPERFICIAL LAYER HAS NUCLEATED
CELLS WITH NO SIGNS OF
KERATINIZATION
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NON KERATINOCYTES IN ORAL
EPITHELIUM
 THESE CELLS DOES NOT CONTAIN
TONOFILAMENTS
 LACK DESMOSOMES
 THEY WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN PROCESS
OF MATURATION AND KERATINIZATION
 HENCE THEY ARE CALLED NON
KERATINOCYTES
 THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS
 1.MELANOCYTES
 2.LANGERHANS CELLS
 3.MERKEL CELLS
 4.INFLAMMATORY CELLS
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CONTINUED
 MELANOCYTES:- CAUSES MELANIN
PIGMENTATION
 SITUATED IN THE BASAL LAYER.
 ENTER EPITHELIUM AT ABOUT 11TH
WEEK OF GESTATION.
 THEY POSESS DENDRITIC PROCESSES.
 WHICH EXTEND BETWEEN
KERATINOCYTES.
 CONTAIN MELANOSOMES WHICH
SYNTHESIZE MELANIN.
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CONTINUED

 LANGERHANS CELLS:- IT IS ALSO A

DENDRITIC CELL.
 CHARACTERIZED BY SMALL FLASK
SHAPED GRANULES CALLED BIRBEK
GRANULES.
 THEY HAVE AN IMMUNOLOGIC
FUNCTION.

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CONTINUED

 MERKEL CELLS:- NOT A DENDRITIC CELL.

 SITUATED IN BASAL LAYER.
 POCESS KERATIN FILAMENTS &
DESMOSOMES.
 SITUATED ADJACENT TO THE NERVE FIBER.
 ARISE FROM DIVISION OF AN EPITHELIAL
CELL.
 THOUGHT TO BE SENSORY HENCE RESPONSE
TO TOUCH.

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CONTINUED

 INFLAMMATORY CELLS----- MOST

COMMONLY SEEN CELL IS LYMPHOCYTES
 EVEN PMN AND MAST CELLS ARE ALSO
SEEN

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LAMINA PROPRIA

 FOUND BELOW THE EPITHELIUM

 HAS 2 PARTS AND ARE
 1.PAPILLARY
 2.RETICULAR
 PAPILLARY PORTION IS PROJECTIONS OF CONNECTIVE
TISSUE INTO THE EPITHELIUM
 INCREASE IN LENGTH OF PAPILLAE IS SEEN IN AREAS
WHERE ADDITIONAL MECHANICAL ADHESION IS
REQUIRED BETWEEN EPITHELIUM AND CONNECTIVE
TISSUE
 EG; MASTICATORY MUCOSA
 RETICULAR PORTION IS PRESENT BELOW THIS LAYER
 THIS CONTAIN MAINLY COLLAGEN FIBRES BLOOD
CAPILLARIES

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CONTINUED

 SUBMUCOSA----- IT IS A CONNECTIVE
TISSUE OF VARIBLE THICKNESS
 SERVES PRIMARILY AS ATTACHMENT FOR
LAMINA PROPRIA TO THE UNDERLYING
BONE OR MUSCLE
 SUBMUCOSA CONTAINS GLANDS
ADIPOSE TISSUES VASCULAR AND
NEURAL COMPONENTS

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CELLS OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

 1.FIBROBLASTS---- THEY ARE STELLATE OR ELONGATED

CELLS WITH ABUNDANT ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
 THEY SECRETES FIBRES AND GROUND SUBSTANCE
 YHEY ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE LAMINA
PROPRIA
 2.HISTIOCYTES----- SPINDLE OR STELLATE SHAPED CELLS
 THEY CONTAIN DARK STAINING NUCLEI
 CONTAIN ABUNDANT LYSOSOMAL VESCICLES
 THEY ARE PRECURSORS OF FUNCTIONAL MACROPHAGES
 THEY TOO PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE LAMINA PROPRIA

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CONTINUED

 MACROPHAGES---- THEY ARE ROUND WITH PALE

STAINING NUCLEUS
 CONTAIN LYSOSOMES AND PHAGOCYTIC VESCICLES
 HELPS IN PHAGOCYTOSIS
 PRESENT IN AREAS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
 MAST CELLS----- THEY ARE ROUND CELLS WITH
BASOPHILIC GRANULES
 THEY STAIN METACHROMATICALLY
 SECREATES INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS
 PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE LAMINA PROPRIA

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CONTINUED
ENDOTHELIAL CELLS----
 PMN CELLS----- THEY ARE ROUND WITH LOBED
NUCLEUS
 HELPS IN PHAGOCYTOSIS
 PRESENT IN AREAS OF ACUTE INFLAMMATION
 LYMPHOCYTES---- THEY ARE ROUND WITH DARK
STAINING NUCLEUS AND SCANT CYTOPLASM
 THEY HELP IN HUMORAL AND CELL MEDIATED
IMMUNITY
 FOUND IN AREAS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
 PLASMA CELL----- THEY HAVE CART WHEEL
NUCLEUS WITH BASOPHILIC NUCLEUS
 THEY CONTAIN ABUNDANT ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM
 HELPS IN SYNTHESIS OF IMMUNOGLOBULINS
 SEEN IN AREAS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
 ENDOTHELIAL CELLS----- PRESENT IN LINING THE
BLOOD VESSEL
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FIBRES AND GROUND SUBSTANCE

 CONTAINS 2 TYPES OF FIBRES

 1.COLLAGEN
 2.ELASTIC
 COLLAGEN FIBRES ARE MAINLY OF TYPE1
AND TYPE3
 ELASTIC FIBRES ARE MADE UP OF ELASTIN,
WHICH IS A PROTEIN RESPONSIBLE FOR
ELASTIC PROPERTIES
 GROUND SUBSTANCE CONSISTS OF
GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS AND
PROTEOGLYCANS

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KERATINIZATION

 IT INVOLVES SERIES OF BIOCHEMICAL AND

MORPHOLOGIC EVENTS
 THESE CHANGES OCCUR STARTING FROM BASAL
CELL LAYER TO THE CORNEAL LAYER
 HENCE THE PROCESS OF KERATINIZATION CAN BE
EXPLAINED IN FOLLOWING 4 STEPS AND ARE
 1.GRADUAL FLATTENING OF THE CELL
 2.DISAPPEARENCE OF NUCLEUS
 INCREASED PREVALENCE OF TONOFILAMENTS
 INCREASED PREVALENCE OF KERATOHYALINE
GRANULES
 TONOFILAMENTS ARE NOTHING BUT KERATIN
FILAMENTS
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