CHAPTER 4: Epithelial Tissue
Intercellular Adhesion and Other Junctions:
 closely aggregated polyhedral cells; line organ
cavities and cover body surface
 Principal functions of epithelial tissue:
o Covering, lining, protecting surfaces
o Absorption
o Secretion
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF EPITHELIAL CELLS:
Lamina propria ‒ connective tissue that underlies the
epithelia lining the organs of digestive, respiratory, and
urinary systems
Papillae ‒ increases area of contact between 2 tissues;
projecting from the connective tissue into the
epithelium
Basal pole ‒ region of cell containing ECM and
connective tissue
Apical pole ‒ at the opposite end, facing space
Lateral surface ‒ adjoin cells; increase area and
functional capacity of that surface
Basement membrane ‒ thin, extracellular felt-like sheet
of macromolecules where basal surface of epithelia
rests
Basal lamina ‒ thin, electron-dense, sheet-like
layer of fine fibrils
Reticular lamina ‒ beneath basal lamina
Type IV collagen ‒ monomers of type IV collagen self-
assemble into a 2-D network of evenly spaced subunits
resembling the mesh of a window screen.
Laminin ‒ large proteoglycans that attach to
transmembrane integrin proteins in the basal cell
membrane and project through the mesh formed by
type IV collagen
Nidogen and perlecan ‒ they cross-link laminins to type
IV collagen network to provide the basal lamina’s 3D
structure, bind epithelium to that structure, and
determine porosity and size of molecule able to filter
through it
Basal laminae ‒ semipermeable barriers regulating
macromolecular exchange between the enclosed cells
and connective tissue.
*More diffused meshwork of reticular lamina contains
type III collagen
Type VII collagen ‒ bind type III collagen to the basal
lamina
 Tight or occluding junctions ‒ form a seal
between adjacent cells
Claudin and occluding ‒ make a tight interaction to
create a seal between two membranes
Molecules cross epithelium by:
Transcellular path ‒ through the cells
Paracellular pathway ‒ between cells
 Adherent or anchoring junctions ‒ sites of
strong cell adhesion; usually immediately below
the tight junction
Cadherins ‒ mediate cell adhesion
Catenins ‒ bound by cadherins; link actin filaments with
actin-binding proteins
Terminal web ‒ a cytoskeletal feature of the apical
poleformed by actin filaments linked to the adherens
junction
Desmosome ‒ this junction resembles a single “spot-
weld” and does not form a belt around the cell
 Gap junction ‒ channels for communication
between adjacent cells
Connexins ‒ transmembrane gap junction proteins
formed by hexameric complexes called connexons
Hemidesmosomes ‒ anchoring junctions that attach
cells to the basal lamina
Focal adhesion ‒ another basal anchoring junction
found in cells that are moving during epithelial repair or
reorganization
Focal adhesion kinase ‒ initiates a cascade of
intracellular protein phosphorylation affecting cell
adhesion
SPECIALIZATIONS OF THE APICAL CELL SURFACE
Microvilli ‒ specialized for absorption in the apical
surfaces of epithelia; usually uniform in length; visible
as brush or striated border
Stereocilia ‒ facilitate absorption; line the male  Secretory (Glandular) Epithelia ‒ epithelial cells
reproductive system; has motion detecting function that function mainly to produce and secrete
(inner ear sensory cells) various macromolecule

Cilia ‒ long, highly motile apical structures, larger than
microvilli, and containing internal arrays of
microtubules not microfilaments;
‒ has a core structure consisting of nine peripheral
microtubule doublets arrayed around two central
microtubules; this 9 + 2 assembly of microtubules is
called an axoneme
Goblet cell ‒ secretes lubricating mucus
Exocrine glands ‒ remain connected with the surface
epithelium; have ducts
Secretory portions and ducts ‒ transport secretion out
of exocrine glands

Basal bodies ‒ apical cytoplasmic structures just below Endocrine glands ‒ lose the connection to their original
the cell membrane epithelium; lack ducts

TYPES OF EPITHELIA Glands can be:

 Covering or Lining Epithelia  Simple – unbranched ducts
 Secretory (Glandular) Epithelia  Compound – branched ducts

Covering or Lining Epithelia ‒ organized into one or Secretory portions can be:
more layers that cover the surface or line the cavities of  Tubular – either short or long and coiled
an organ  Acinar – rounded and saclike

Keratinized ‒ packed with keratin filaments Compound glands - can have branching ducts and can
Nonkeratinized ‒ with relatively sparse keratin have multiple tubular, acinar, or tubuloacinar secretory
portions.
Types of Secretion:
 Merocrine secretion - most common method of
protein or glycoprotein secretion; involves
typical exocytosis from membrane-bound
vesicles or secretory granules
 Holocrine secretion - cells accumulate product
continuously as they enlarge and undergo
terminal differentiation, culminating in
complete cell disruption that releases the
product and cell debris into the gland’s lumen
TRANSPORT ACROSS EPITHELIA
Na+/K+ pump - extrusion of Na+ from cells by the
transmembrane protein Na+/K+-ATPase; allows cells to
maintain the required low intracellular sodium
concentration
Transcellular transport - transfer of ions (by ion pumps)
and water (via aquaporins) in either direction across the
epithelium

 Apocrine secretion - product accumulates at

the cells’ apical ends, portions of which are then
extruded to release the product together with
small amounts of cytoplasm and cell membrane

Serous cells - synthesize proteins that are mostly not

glycosylated
Mucous cells - contain heavily glycosylated proteins
called mucins; when mucins are released from the cell,
they become hydrated and form a layer of mucus.
Seromucous glands - have both serous acini and
mucous tubules with clustered serous cells; product of
such glands is a mixture of digestive enzymes and
watery mucus