Epithelial Tissue
 Tissue- groups of cells that are similar in
structure and function
 Most organs contain all types
 Epithelium- covering, lining
 Connective- support; bone, ligaments
 Nervous- control; brain, nerve, spinal
cord
 Muscular- movement
Characteristics of Epithelial tissue
 Highly cellular
o Under the microscope: full of
cells
o Connective tissue have spaces
for fibers; muscular have
striations; nervous have
neuronal cells
 Closely associated polyhedral cells; cell
and nuclei shape are variable
o Flat cells of inner cheek linings:
squamous, 1 nucleus
o Cuboidal cells- tall as wide cells
o Columnar cells- taller than wide
o Transitional cells- balloon
shaped, dome-shaped
o Fusiform cells- found in
pseudostratified epithelium
Variability in Nuclei shape
Special features in the Apical Surface
o Squamous- spheroidal/circular
o Columnar- elongated/ oblong
 From continued sheets (fit like tiles)
o Pavement epithelium
 Little extracellular matrix; full of cells
o Connective tissues have more
abundant extracellular matrix
 Only type that arises from the 3 germ
layers (early embryonic life: embryo
consist of 3 layers)
o Ectoderm-outermost layer
o Mesoderm- middle layer
o Endoderm- innermost layer
o Mostly ectodermal, endodermal,
mesodermal (few)
o Muscular and connective:
Mesodermal
o Nervous: endodermal and
ectodermal
 Has a basement membrane- supports all
epithelial cells
- Underside of all epithelial cells, anchors
them to connective tissue
- Thicker than lamina
- PAS + (Periodic acid Schiff; special
stain for glycogen)
- Visible under LM
- Composition: Basal lamina, reticular
lamina
 Basal lamina- part of basement
membrane
 electron microscope
 20-100 nm thick
 Consist of dense and clear layers
o Dense layer: Macula densa
o Clear layer: Macula lucida
 Composition: 4 macromolecules
(Laminin, type iv collagen,
Nidogen/Entactin, Perlecan)
 Only type with polarity (able to identify
the layers)
o Basal layer- basal membrane,
bottom
o Apical region- top, opposite of
basement membrane, borders an
open space: Lumen
o Lateral regions- sides
 Microvilli
- small intestine
- fingerlike projections of the plasma
membrane
- with foldings to increase surface area for
absorption
- Permanent or temporary
- Supported by terminal web: actin
filaments composed of fimbrin and
villin
- EM: microvilli
- LM: brush border (not termed microvilli
if under this microscope), dark staining
thickened structure
 Cilia
- Respiratory tubes
- Made up of microtubules (9 + 2 pattern)
- 5-19 micrometer: length; 0.2
micrometer: diameter
 - Whip-like motion extensions
- Move mucus over the epithelial surface:
one way motion, alternating power
recovery stroke
o Flagella- extra long cilia; moves
cell, help in conduction of
gamete cells (e.g. Spermatozoa)
 Stereocilia
- Epididymis, ductus deferens
- Longer but less motile than microvilli
- branched
- Conduction of mature spermatozoa from
epididymis to urethra
 Avascular
 No blood vessels
 Nourished by diffusion by underlying
connective tissue
 Regenerate and repair quickly
 Nerve can pass through
o Innervated but not vascularized
 Organized by zippers or junctions
Specialized Junctions
 Occluding junctions
 Zonula Occludens or Tight Junction
 joins cell tissue; seal to prevent loss of
material
 Most apical;
 belt like structure around the cell
 Sealer protein: Claudin
 Anchoring junction
 Zonula Adherens
 Underneath the occluding junction
 Cell to cell and cell to basal lamina
adherence
 CADHERINS protein- type of
transmembrane protein
o Desmosomes/Macula
Adherence
- Resembles spot-weld,
does not form a belt
- Resist shearing forces
- Found along the lateral
cell membrane
o Hemidesmosomes
- half of desmosomes
- bind the cell to basal
lamina; consist of
integrins that will attach
to the cell
- basal cell
 Gap junctions
 Communicating junctions
 Consist of connexins- aqueous pores
from plasma membrane through the
intracellular space
 Each connexin: 6 connexons
 Connexons- hexameric complexes
 Basal cell- hemidesmosomes
 Lateral- tight junction, desmosomes, and
communicating junctions
Functions
 Protection- skin
 Absorption- lining of small intestine
 Filtration- epithelial lining of kidney;
screen materials from urine before
excretion
 Secretion- epithelial glands that secrete
mucus, fats, proteins
Minor Functions
 Sensation
o Epithelial lining of neuronal
cells- Neuroepithelium
 Lubrication: glands that secrete mucus
 Contraction
o Myoepithelium- lines the
muscle
Classifications
Two types of Epithelial Tissues
 Epithelial glands -secretion
 Epithelial membrane- covering and
lining
Naming Epithelial membrane
 Cell shape
o Squamous- flattened like fish
scales, polyhedral
o Cuboidal- square or cube; tall as
wide
o Columnar- rectangular; taller
than wide
o Transitional – stretchable
- relaxed: dome
shaped/piriform shaped,
balloon shape
 - stretched: appear as
flattened; when urinary
bladder is full
 Cell layers
o Simple
 Pseudostratified
o Stratified
 Named for the type of
cell at apical surface
 Basis: basement of membrane; count
layers (simple/stratified); stratified
basis: shape on the topmost layer
 Stratified columnar and stratified
cuboidal are rare types of tissue
 Stratified squamous: keratinized and
non-keratinized
Epithelial Membrane
Simple Squamous Epithelium
 Structure: single layer of flattened cells
 Function: absorption and filtration; not
for protection (single layer)
 Location: walls of capillaries, air sacs in
lungs (alveoli); form serous membranes
in body cavity
Simple Cuboidal Epithelium
 Structure: single layer of cube shaped
cells
 Function: secretion and transportation in
glands, filtration in kidneys
 Location: ducts (pancreas and salivary),
kidney tubules; covers ovaries
Simple Columnar Epithelium
 Structure: elongated layer (one layer of
columnar) of cells with nuclei at same
level
 Function: absorption, protection, and
secretion
- Open to body cavities: mucous
membrane
 Special features:
o Microvilli- bumpy extensions;
increase surface area and
absorption rate
o Goble cells- single cell glands;
produce protective mucus
 Location: lining of entire digestive tract,
fallopian tubes, uterus (ciliated),
intestine (goblet cells)
Pseudostratified Epithelium
 Structure: irregularly shaped cells,
nuclei at different levels; appear
stratified but are not
- All cells reach the basement membrane
- Consist of irregularly shaped cells
 Function: absorption and secretion,
goblet cells produce mucus, cilia sweep
mucus
 Location: respiratory linings,
reproductive tract
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
 Structure: many layers, stronger than
simple
 Function: protection; keratin is
accumulated in older cells near the
surface- waterproofs and toughens skin
 Location: skin, epidermis (keratinized);
esophagus and vagina (non keratinized)
Stratified Columnar
 Epiglottis
 Conjunctiva of the eye
 Pharynx
 Male urethra
 Anal mucous membrane
Stratified Cuboidal
 Excretory duct of sweat and salivary
glands
Transitional Epithelium
 Structure:
- Many layers
- Very specialized
- Cells at base: cuboidal or columnar
- Surface: umbrella-shaped
- Change between stratified and simple as
stretched out
 Function: stretching
 Location: urinary bladder, ureter, urethra
 Glands
 - One or more cells that make and secrete
a product
 Secretion- protein in aqueous solution;
hormones, acids, oils
 Endocrine
- No duct; release secretion via blood
vessels
- Often hormones; thyroid, adrenal and
pituitary glands
 Exocrine
- With ducts which serves as the passage
for the release of secretion
- Sweat, oil glands, salivary glands,
mammary glands

Types of Exocrine Glands

 Branching
o Simple- single, unbranched duct
o Compound- branched
 Shape
o Tubular
o Alveolar- flasks or sacs
o Tubuloalveolar- both tubes and
sacs

Modes of Secretion
 Secretion- how gland’s product is
released
 Merocrine
- Released by exocytosis without altering
the gland
- Sweat glands and salivary glands

 Holocrine
- Gland ruptures and releases secretion
and dead cells as well
- Sebaceous (oil glands on the face)
 Apocrine
- glands that release secretion that causes
alteration in the apical surface