Epithelium and Glands

Basic Tissues
Epithelium -covering

Connective tissue – support;

Blood tissue - exchange

Muscle tissue -movement

Nervous tissue -control

Epithelium: Features and Function
A. Composition
• surfaces and glands within the body
• small amount of extracellular matrix (ECM).
• Intermediate Filament (IF) proteins known as cytokeratin

B. Classification
• Surface
• Glandular
• Special
C. Important characteristics
1. Covers or lines all body surfaces

2. Polarity - apical, lateral & basal

domains

3. specific intermediate filaments called

cytokeratins

4. Attached to underlying CT via ECM

basement membrane
C. Important characteristics

5. avascular but innervated

6. Gives rise to majority of glands

7. High regenerative capacity

8. Great diversity of function

D. Function
1. Protection (skin)

2. Absorption (SI/LI)

3. Transport of material (cilia)

4. Secretion (gland)

5. Excretion (tubules of the kidney)

6. Gas exchange (lung aveoli)

7. Gliding between surfaces (mesothelium)

SURFACE EPITHELIUM
Simple Squamous epithelium
SIMPLE SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
Simple cuboidal epithelium
Simple Columnar Cells
Stratified squamous epithelium
STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS
SSKE
Cytokeratins greatest amount
Location epidermis of the skin.
generally prominent and
Keratohyalin abundant in cells subjacent
to the superficial cornified
granules layers.
intensely acidophilic surface
layers, the degree of
Staining keratinization is so high that
nuclei and other organelles
are absent.
Stratified squamous
keratinizing epithelium
orthokeratinizing or the
cutaneous type,
SSPKE SSNKE
Intermediate lower
oral cavity on masticatory
oral cavity, esophagus,
surfaces (e.g., gingiva, hard
and vagina
palate).
may or may not be present
Nuclei are present in the
Nuclei are still seen in the
surface layers and among
surface layers, but
the three variants
acidophilia is more
prominent in these cells
acidophilia is the least
prominent, which reflects
when compared to those in
the lower cytokeratin
the basal layers
content
Stratified squamous Stratified squamous
parakeratinizing epithelium nonkeratinizing” epithelium
mucous type
Pseudostratified columnar epithelium
Transitional epithelium
GLANDULAR EPITHELIUM
Types of Glandular Epithelia
Exocrine Glands
Exocrine Glands
Exocrine glands: Types of secretion
Exocrine glands: Types of secretion
Exocrine glands: Mechanism of Secretion
Special Epithelium
Surface Epithelium
MYOEPITHELIUM
1. Contractile, branched epithelial cells
2. Lbetween glandular epithelial cells
and BM
3. actin filaments; smooth muscle-like
4. Facilitate glandular secretion

Neuroepithelium
1. Non-neuronal
2. Neuronal
Special Epithelium
Seminiferous epithelium
1. Germinal epithelium of testis
a. Spermatogenic (germ) cells

b. Supporting (Sertoli) cells

2. Sertoli cells: simple epithelium

3. Spermatogenic cells: stratified

Epithelial Polarity
Epithelial Polarity
Epithelial Specializations
Epithelial specializations
APICAL BASAL
1. Microvilli 1.Basement membrane
2. Cilia 2. Hemidesmosome
3. Flagella 3. Infoldings
LATERAL 4. Outfoldings
1. Zonula occludens
2. Zonula Adherens
3. Macula Adherens
4. Macula Communican
Apical Specialization: Microvilli
Apical Specializations: Cilia and Flagella
Apical Specializations: Cilia

• Stereocilia (Nonmotile)
• Kinocilia (motile)
 Apical Specializations
Glycocalx
carbohydrate-rich, PAS-positive covering on the
apical surface
all cell membranes consist of externally-
directed glycoproteins and glycolipids

• Glycoproteins
• Glycolipids
• Proteoglycans
Lateral Specializations
Cellular Junction: Description and components
Basal Specializations
• Basement membrane
1. Basal lamina (epithelial)
a. Lamina lucida (rara): laminin, perlecan

b. Lamina densa: type IV collagen

c. Analogous to external lamina of adipose, muscle, perineurial, and

Schwann cells

2. Reticular lamina
a. Type III collagen

b. Ground substance

c. Anchoring fibrils: type VII collagen

Basal Specializations
• Hemidesmosome

• Basal Infoldings
Transporting epithelia , increased surface area for transport

• Basal Outfoldings
dermo-epidermal junction - increase area for attachment
Thank you!!!