General Histology

Stratified Epithelium

Dr. Ali Mahdi Mutlag

 COMPOUND EPITHELIA

SQUAMOUS CUBOIDAL COLUMNAR TRANSITIONAL

Stratified columnar
epithelia are rare;
they are
sometimes found
in the ducts of
glands.

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Stratified Epithelial Tissue
Stratified epithelium has more than one layer.
It is found in areas of high abrasion such as
the skin or the lining of the mouth.
Cell division occurs in cells near the basement
membrane, pushing older cells toward the
surface. Cells lost by abrasion at the surface
are replaced by cells underneath.
Example: the human skin contains stratified
epithelium
Classified according to the cell
shape of the superficial layer into :-

1- Squamous
2- cuboidal
3- columnar
4- transitional
Stratified squamous epithelium –
several layers of cells in which the
top layer is flat, bottom layers vary
from cuboidal to columnar. Its
function is protection (against
abrasion). Basal layers continually
replicate.
A) Stratified squamous non
keratinized epithelium :-
Lines wet cavities ( mouth , esophagus
and vagina )
In such areas where water loss is not a
problem the flattened cells of the
epithelium surface layer are living
cells , retaining their nuclei .
Stratified squamous epithelium
• In stratified squamous
epithelium the lower
cells are roughly
polygonal in shape.
• As cells migrate
towards the surface
they become flattened.
• Found in areas
requiring protection
such as oesophagus,
anal canal and vagina.
Note how cells at the surface are very flattened as opposed to the
nearly columnar basal cells. Surface cells are continuously lost and
replaced by cell division in deeper layers
B) Keratinized
variety forms contains protein
keratin. waterproof, resistant to
friction, helps repel bacteria . this type
is found mainly in the epidermis of
skin. Its cells form many layers , and
the cells closer to the underlying
connective tissue are usually cuboidal
or low columnar
The cells become irregular in shape
and flatten as they accumulate keratin
in the process of keratinization and
are moved progressively closer to the
surface where they become thin ,
metabolically inactive squames of
keratin lacking nuclei this surface
layer of cells helps protect against
water loss across this epithelium
 2) Stratified cuboidal epithelium
consists of several layers of cells in
which the top layer is cube-shaped..
Function is mainly protective.
Location:-
Testis tubules; vesicular (Graafian)
follicles of ovary.
Ducts of sweat glands; sebaceous
glands
consists of several layers of cells in
which the top layer is rectangular.
Also uncommon. Usually basal layers
are shortened, irregular polyhedral
cells. It protects and mucus secreting
Its found in the conjunctiva lining the
eyelids .
.
4)Transitional epithelium (urothelium)
consists of several layers of cells
whose appearance is variable,
whether stretched or relaxed. It
lines the urinary bladder, and parts
of the ureters and urethra. It is
capable of stretching.
The urothelium is composed of three layers:-
 Single layer of small basal cells resting
on a very thin basement mambrane
 Intermediate region containing from one
to several layers of more columnar cells
 A superficial layer of very large ,
polyhedral or umbrella cells which are
occasionally bi-or multinucleated
When the bladder is empty the
superficial layer has umbrella
cells , when the bladder is full
the urothelium is thinner and
the umbrella cells are flatter .
Transitional Epithelium
Also called urinary epithelium as it is only
found in the urinary system.

Received its name because early

microscopists thought it represented a
transition stage between stratified
squamous and stratified cuboidal
epithelium.

The two figures illustrate one of the basic

properties of the epithelium which is
that it is capable of being stretched.

The upper section is from a relaxed bladder

whilst the lower is from a distended
bladder. Note how the shape of the
surface cells can change when the the
epithelium is stretched.

Epithelium also capable of protecting

underlying tissues from osmotic damage

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Relaxed bladder

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 Stretched Bladder

Compare the shape of the surface cells in relaxed and stretched bladder.

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Modifications of Epithelial structure

SURFACE SPECIALISATIONS OF EPITHELIUM CELLS

FOR TRANSPORT FOR ABSORPTION FOR PROTECTION

CILIA MICROVILLI KERATINISATION

STEREOCILIA

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Cilia
•Cilia are elongated, highly motile
structures on the surface of some epithelial
cells,
• much longer and two times wider than a
typical microvillus.
•Each cilium is bounded by the cell
membrane and contains an axoneme with
a central pair of microtubules surrounded
by nine peripheral microtubular pairs .
•Cilia are inserted into basal bodies,
which are electron-dense structures at the
apical pole just below the cell membrane.
A ciliated cell of the trachea.
Cilia

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 C

Thin epoxy section of the trachea showing cilia (C) on

a pseudostratified columnar epithelium (arrows).
Note how the goblet cells (G) between the epithelial
cells lack cilia.
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 Specializations of epithelial tissue

Microvilli
Are cytoplasmic projections may be short or long
fingerlike extensions or folds that pursue a sinuous
course, and they range in number from a few to
many

Within each microvillus are bundles of actin

filaments cross-linked to each other and to the
surrounding plasma membrane by other proteins.

Their function is temporary, reflecting cytoplasmic

movements and the activity In absorptive cells,
such as the lining epithelium of the small intestine,
is called the brush or striated border.
 Microvilli

Brush Border

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 Stereocilia
Are long apical processes of cells in
other absorptive epithelia such as that
lining the epididymis and ductus
deferens.
These structures are much longer and
less motile than microvilli, are branched,
and should not be confused with true
cilia.
Like microvilli, stereocilia also
increase the cells' surface area, facilitating
the movement of molecules into and out
of the cell.
Stereocilia
 Stereocilia on the epithelial lining of the epididymis (arrow).
Note the pseudostratified columnar epithelium.(double
arrow)

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Keratinisation
• Characteristically found
in the skin, this
adaptation is for
protection.
• The thickness of the
keratin layer varies
(depth of it here
indicated by two
arrows) in different
sites.
• It is thickest in the sole
of the foot and
thinnest on the outer
surface of the lip.
 Mitotic figure

Keratin layer

Papillae

Keratinised stratified epithelium from the skin. Note how the basal layers are
folded forming papillae. These serve to attach the epithelium to the
underlying tissues. In inset note the mitotic figures; cells lost at the surface of
both forms of stratified squamous epithelium are replaced by division of cells
in the basal layers.
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 Cell Adhesion
CELL JUNCTIONS
Type title here

OCCLUDING ANCHORING COMMUNICATING

ADHERENT JUNCTIONS

FOCAL CONTACTS

DESMOSOMES

HEMIDESMOSOMES

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 Function of Cell / Cell Junctions
OCCLUDING Prevent diffusion of substances between
adjacent cells.

ADHERENT Link actin filament network between adjacent

cells

FOCAL CONTACTS Link actin filaments of a cell to extracellular

matrix

DESMOSOMES Link intermediate filament networks of

adjacent cells

HEMIDESMOSOMES Connect intermediate filament network of a

cell to t he extracellular matrix

COMMUNICATING Allow selective diffusion of molecules between

adjacent cells
Junctional Complexes
• The EM shows some of
the cell / cell junctions
found between
epithelial cells.
• Where different
junctions occur close
together as between
these two intestinal
epithelial cells they are
known as junctional
complexes.
 Zonula Occludens

Zonula adherens

Desmosome

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