PRACTICAL

EPITHELIAL TISSUE

Objectives:

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

1. identify the various covering epithelia; which are simple squamous, simple
cuboidal, simple columnar, pseudostratified columnar, stratified squamous non-
keratinized, stratified squamous keratinized, stratified columnar, stratified
cuboidal, and transitional epithelia,
2. identify cell surface specializations of the epithelia; which are microvilli, cilia,
and stereocilia,
3. identify an example of unicellular gland; the goblet cells,
4. identify the secretory portion and the ducts of multicellular exocrine gland,
5. identify and differentiate between mucous and serous secreting cells,

Tips on how to benefit from the practical class

1. You must be clear of your objectives before you enter the class and therefore you
will know what to achieve in the practical session.
2. You must have a clear understanding of the topic. (You should have covered this
during the SCL and during your preparations for SCL).
3. Have an ATLAS with you during the practical session.
4. When viewing the slides, start with the lowest objective; i.e. 4X. You will then
have a general view of the tissue sections. Then move up to the next higher
objective; i.e. 10X and finally use the 40X objective. NEVER EVER USE OIL
or 100X OBJECTIVE.
5. Draw the parts that you have viewed.
6. Do not hesitate to ask the lecturers when in doubt.
For this practical session, you will be provided with the following slides:

1. Kidney
2. Skin
3. Lung
4. Jejunum
5. Urinary bladder
6. Oesophagus - middle
7. Epididymis
8. Parotid gland
9. Sublingual gland
10. Pancreas

1. Kidney

In this section, you will be able to identify the following epithelium: simple squamous,
simple cuboidal and simple columnar epithelium.
You should also be able to view microvilli.

The kidney is divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla.

The following structures will be found in the cortex: Bowman’s capsule, proximal
convoluted tubule and distal convoluted tubule.
The thin limbs of the loop of Henle can be found in the medulla.

Identify the Bowman’s capsule. Identify the parietal layer. What is the type of
epithelium?

Surrounding the Bowman’s capsule are sections of proximal and distal convoluted
tubules. What is the type of epithelium? The apical surfaces of the cells of proximal
convoluted tubules are not clearly delineated. This is due to the presence of microvilli.
The microvilli form the brush border.

In the medulla region, identify the thin part of the loop of Henle. What is type of the
epithelium?

Identify the collecting ducts. Name the epithelium of the collecting ducts.
2. Skin

The skin is made up of 2 layers. The epidermis which is made up of epithelial tissue and
an underlying connective tissue which forms the dermis.

Identify the epidermis. What is the epithelial type? Is it stratified or simple? What is the
difference between a simple and a stratified epithelium?

Within the dermis there will be numerous capillaries. Capillaries are formed by a single
layer of squamous epithelium known as endothelium. Identify them.

You should also be able to see sweat glands and sebaceous glands.
Look at the epithelium of the sweat glands. Sweat glands are simple tubular glands.
What is the epithelium of the sweat glands?
How are the secretions secreted from the sweat gland?
How are the secretions secreted from the sebaceous gland?
3. Oesophagus

Identify the epithelium lining the mucosa of the oesophagus. The epithelium is stratified
squamous non-keratinized. What is the difference between this epithelium and the
epithelium of the skin?

4. Lung

Look at the lung section.

It is full of air-filled spaces known as alveoli.
The alveoli are lined by simple squamous epithelium.
Identify the alveoli and the epithelium.

The respiratory tract within the lung are the bronchi and bronchioles. Identify the lining
epithelium of he bronchus and bronchioles. What is the type of epithelium?

The apical surface of the epithelium lining the bronchi has projections. What do you
think the projections are? What is their function?
Among the lining epithelium are goblet cells. Identify the goblet cells. Goblet cells are
unicellular glands. What do goblet cells produce?

5. Jejunum

The wall of the small intestine is made up of 4 layers. From outer to inner, they are
serosa, muscularis externa, submucosa and mucosa. The mucosa is made up of
epithelium and connective tissue. Identify the epithelium. What is the type of epithelium?
The apical surface of the epithelium has microvilli known as striated (brush) border.
What is the function of the microvilli?

Can you identify the goblet cells interspersed among the epithelium?
6. Urinary bladder

Identify the epithelium lining the mucosa of urinary bladder? The epithelium is
transitional epithelium. How is this epithelium classified, simple or stratified?

7. Epididymis

The epithelium of the epididymis is pseudostratified columnar. Their apical surfaces are
covered by long, branched projections known as stereocilia. Are stereocilia motile?
8. Parotid gland and sublingual gland

Parotid gland is a branched acinar gland. The secretory portion is almost exclusively
composed of serous cells. The sublingual gland is a branched tubuloacinar gland. It is
composed of serous and mucous cells with the mucous cells predominate.
Can you differentiate between serous and mucous cells?
What are the differences between serous and mucous cells?
What is the difference between the secretions of mucous gland and serous gland?

Identify the ducts of the glands.

The smaller ducts are lined by simple cuboidal epithelium. As the ducts progressively
become larger, they are lined by stratified cuboidal and the largest ducts are lined by
stratified columnar epithelium.
9. Pancreas

Pancreas is a mixed gland, composed exocrine and endocrine gland.

The exocrine portion secretes digestive enzymes.

The endocrine portion secretes a number of hormones, which includes insulin and
glucagons.
What is the difference between an endocrine and an exocrine gland?

The exocrine portion is composed of acinar glands.

Identify the secretory portion of pancreatic acinar. Are the cells serous or mucous-
secreting cells?
Identify the ducts of the pancreatic acinar. Identify the epithelium.

The endocrine portion is made up of clusters of cells known as islets of Langerhans.

Identify the islets. You will find capillaries interspersed between the cells of the islets.