Prepared by

Dr. Belqees A. Allaw

2021
 Main tissue types
1- EPITHELIAL TISSUE
2- CONNECTIVE TISSUE
3- MUSCLE TISSUE
4- NERVOUS TISSUE
Tissues join together in different
arrangements to form our body organs.
Organs work together in systems.
Epithelial Tissue
 Epithelial tissue
• It is composed of densely packed
epithelial cells with only a little
extracellular matrix (ECM).
Location:
• It cover external surfaces (skin)
• line the inside of hollow organs
(intestine)
• Form glands.

Glands Intestine wall

Classifications
• Based on morphology:
1- squamous (flat), vepithelial tissue types :
2- cuboid (cube). A- Simple
3- columnar (rectangular). B- Pseudostratified
Based on the number of layers: C- Stratified
1- simple (single layered). B- transitional
2- stratified (multi-layered).
Simple epithelium
• It has only one cell layer where every cell is
in direct contact with the underlying
basement membrane.
• Location: lining of the body cavities, blood
and lymph vessels, heart and respiratory
system.
• Function: absorption and filtration
Types of simple epithelium
 1- Simple squamous
• a single layer of thin flattened cells
through which molecules can easily pass
(diffusion, filtration).
• Simple squamous epithelium can be
found: alveoli of the lungs
1- lining capillaries (endothelium).
2- alveoli of the lungs.
3- glomeruli (capillaries) of the kidneys .
4- heart (endocardium).
5- serous membrane(mesothelium).
 2- Simple cuboidal

• a single layer of cube-shaped cells.

• nucleus is large, round and centrally located.
• the cytoplasm is rich with organelles.
• Function: secretory, absorptive,
or excretory functions
• Examples: ducts of:
1- salivary glands.
2- liver, pancreas and other exocrine glands.
3- covers the surface of the ovaries. Ducts of salivary glands
 3- Simple columnar
• a single layer of column shaped cells.
• The ovoid nuclei are usually placed towards
basal surface.
• thickness and organelle rich cytoplasm.
• These cells may have apical projections,
such as microvilli or cilia which enhance its
absorptive function or offer motility.
• Function: protection, secretion, absorption
and excretion.
• Examples: in the walls of the stomach, small
intestine & gallbladder.
4- Pseudostratified columnar
epithelium (PSE)
• it is a type of simple columnar
epithelium.
• It is termed “pseudo” because, although
single, it appears to have multiple layers.
• a sheet of cells with different heights and
irregularly located nuclei.
• Examples:
1- ciliated PSE (upper respiratory tracts,
uterine tubes)
2- Non-ciliated PSE (prostate)
 Stratified epithelium
• It consists of two or more cell layers.
• Based on the shape of their most apical cell
layer, they are further classified into
squamous, cuboidal and columnar.
• two types of specialized stratified
epithelium:
keratinized and transitional.
 Stratified squamous epithelium
• multiple layers of flat squamous epithelia
which provide protection against abrasion
and water loss.
vdivided into two types :
A- non-keratinized:
It lines the oral cavity, oesophagus, larynx,
vagina, anal canal and outer layer of the
cornea. vagina
Stratified squamous epithelium
B- Keratinized epithelium
• is a specialized stratified squamous
epithelium.
• the most apical (superficial) cells are dead
and cyclically desquamate.
• The cells lose their nucleus and cytoplasm, epidermis
and instead contain a tough protein called
keratin.
• Examples: epidermis of the skin.
skin
Stratified cuboidal epithelium
functions as a protective tissue layer.
vIt protect areas such as the ducts of:
• sweat glands.
• mammary glands.
• circumanal glands.
• salivary glands.
Stratified columnar epithelium
• less common than the other stratified
types.
• It has the secretion and protective
functions of all columnar epithelia.
• Examples:
1- covering the conjunctiva of the eye.
2- parts of the pharynx, anus, the uterus,
male urethra and vas deferens.
 Special Stratified columnar epithelium
• A special type of this epithelium
forms sensory epithelium.
• the columnar cells have various apical
specializations modified to detect the
various types of stimuli received by human
sensory organs.
• Examples:
1- The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a
monolayer of pigmented cells situated
between the neuroretina and the choroids.
2- The organ of Corti is a specialized
sensory epithelium that allows for the
transduction of sound vibrations into neural
signals.
 Transitional epithelium
• It is a type of stratified epithelium found in organs
able to distend.
• It is called transitional as its superficial cells can
change their shape when the organ stretches (for
example, from cuboidal to squamous).
• Examples :
1- some parts of the urinary tract.
2- renal calyces (chambers in kidney through which
urine pass).
3- ureters
4- urinary bladder
 Glandular epithelium
It is a group of tissues, other than the covering
and lining epithelium,
• Function: specialized for the production and
secretion of various macromolecules.
• the glandular epithelium is also called the
secretory epithelium.
• Examples:
1- goblet cells in the intestinal epithelium)
2- glandular organs (e.g., thyroid gland)
 Glandular epithelium
Glands are classified in two ways;
• Based on where and how they release
their product into endocrine and
exocrine glands
• Based on the number of comprising
cells –
into unicellular and multicellular
glands
 Exocrine glands
Exocrine glands excrete their products onto goblet cells
the external body surface or into internal
organs’ cavities.
• Unicellular exocrine glands are dispersed
within the covering epithelia, such as goblet
cells found in the mucous membranes of the
small and large intestine.
• Multicellular exocrine glands consist of two
parts;
A- a secretory unit which secretes the product.
B- an excretory duct which conveys the
product out of the gland.
 Exocrine glands
• By the structure of their excretory duct,
multicellular glands classify as :
1- Simple glands have an unbranched
secretory duct which may have different
shapes (tubular, branched tubular, coiled
tubular, alveolar and branched alveolar).
2- Compound glands have a branching
excretory duct. Based on the structure of
their secretory units, they are further
divided into tubular, acinar and
tubuloacinar.
 Exocrine glands
• Multicellular glands can also be classified by
the mode of their secretion into:
1- merocrine (excretion via exocytosis).
Ex: sweat & salivary glands
2- holocrine (excretion by the rupture of the
plasma membrane, which destroys the cell and
results in the secretion of the product into the
lumen).
Ex: sebaceous glands of the skin
3- apocrine (excretion by detaching the apical
membrane).
Ex: mammary gland (breast milk), ear forming
earwax.
 Endocrine glands
• They do not have excretory ducts.
• their product known as hormone, diffuses into
capillaries and travels through the bloodstream
to reach its target organ/s and modify their
functions.
• There is no uniform structure applied to all
endocrine cells.
Endocrine epithelial cells can be organized in
three ways:
1- Forming parenchyma of endocrine glands
(e.g. pineal gland, suprarenal gland)
 Endocrine glands
2- Incorporated in organs whose primary function
is other than endocrine (Leydig cells of the testes)
3- Dispersed within other epithelial cells, being
specifically connected to autonomic neurons
(diffuse neuroendocrine system - DNES)
Ex: islets of Langerhans in the pancreas
vthey are classified by the nature of their
secretion into
• cells that produce proteins.
• cells that produce lipids (steroids).