Faculty of

Medicine
Medical Education-
Damietta
University

Level 1
Semester 1
Module 1A
EPITHELIAL TISSUE.1
 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lecture, the students will be able to:

1.Classify epithelial tissues.
2.Correlate different types of epithelia to
their functions.
 Lecture Outline

• General properties and classification of epithelial

tissue.
• Special types of epithelium
• History A 20-year-old girl develops a rash
24 hours after commencing her holiday in
the sun. The rash is itchy and red affecting
her neck and forearms, there is sparing of
her face and hands. The rash persists for
approximately one week before settling
with no scarring.

• Identify the affected type of epithelium ?

❖ General properties of EPITHELIAL TISSUE.
 Human tissues

•Epithelial
(covering/lining)
•Connective (support)
There are 4 •Muscle
primary tissue (movement)
types in the
human body: •Nervous
(control)
❖ General properties of EPITHELIAL TISSUE:

1) Origin: Derived from all three of the primordial germ layers

2) Epithelia are single or multiple sheets of close-packed cells with very little
extracellular material Covers the surface of the body, lines the body cavities,
forms the external and internal linings of most organs, and constitute the bulk
of most glands.
3) Epithelial cells are strongly connected to adjacent cells via tight junctions and
desmosomes.
4) Different areas of epithelial cells have different structures, the area of an
epithelial cell adjacent to the exterior or to a body cavity is the apical side and
the opposite area is the basal side.
5) Epithelial cells resting on basement membrane and always supported by a layer
of connective tissue.
6) 6-It’s a vascular and has the capacity to regenerate.
❖ Classification of epithelium is
based on:-
a.The number of cell layers
present and the shape of the
cells in the apical layer:
• if there is only one layer of cells,
the epithelium is simple.
• if there is more than one layer,
the epithelium is stratified.
b.The shape of cell; there are
3 cell shapes:
1.Squamous = flat, scale-like
2.Cuboidal = cube-shaped
3.Columnar = column-shaped
❖ Classification of EPITHELIAL TISSUE.
Simple epithelium
1. Simple epithelium Squamous
epithelium:
❖Description:
• In a section, the cells appear
flattened their height being much
less as
compared to their width.
• The cytoplasm of cells forms
only a thin layer. The nuclei
produce bulging of the cell
surface.
❖Location :
• lines the alveoli of the lungs
• lines the free surface of the
serous pericardium, the pleura,
and the peritoneum; here it is
called mesothelium
• lines the inside of the heart,
where it is called endocardium;
and of blood vessels and
lymphatics, where it is called
endothelium. alveoli of the lungs
• lining some parts of the renal
tubules.
❖Function:
• Rapid transport of substances.

• Diffusion of gases .

• Filtration of fluids.
2. Cuboidal epithelium:

❖Description
In sectional view cells appear
cuboidal in shape. The height of
the cells is about the same as
their width. The nuclei are
usually rounded and central.
❖Location :
• Follicles of the thyroid gland.
• Brush border is seen in the
proximal convoluted
tubules of the kidneys.

❖Function
It is mainly concerned with
secretory and absorptive functions
3- Simple Columnar epithelium:
Description
Cells of the epithelium are much
taller compared to their width.
Nuclei are elongated and located
in the lower half of the cells. All
nuclei are placed at the same level
in neighboring cells.
❖Locations:
1- Non ciliated : Inner lining of
stomach& intestines.
2- Ciliated : Inner lining of
uterus and uterine tubes.
❖Function
1.Secretory function in the
mucosa of the stomach
and intestines.
2.Movement of egg and
embryo in uterine tube.
Hence the presence of cilia.
4- Pseudostratified columnar epithelium: Description:
It is not a true stratified epithelium but appears to be stratified
and Normally, in columnar epithelium the nuclei lie in a row,
towards the basal part of the cells. Sometimes, the nuclei appear
to be arranged in two or more layers giving the impression that
the epithelium is more than one cell thick. The cells are
attached to the basement membrane but are of different
heights, some cells are short and basal, while others are tall and
columnar.
Locations:
1- Non-ciliated
pseudostratified
columnar epithelium
is found in male urethra
(membranous and penile
parts).
2- Ciliated pseudostratified
columnar epithelium with
goblet cells: is seen in the
trachea and in large bronchi.
3-Pseudostratified columnar
epithelium with stereocilia
(long microvilli) is seen in
epididymis .
❖ Function:
1. The tall columnar cells are secretory in nature, while

the short, basal cells are stem cells which constantly

replace the tall cells. The cilia help in clearance of the

mucous.

2. The stereocilia help in absorption.

Stratified Epithelium
1- Stratified squamous epithelium:
❖Description:
The cells of the deepest (or basal) layer
rest on the basement membrane, they are
usually columnar in shape.
• Lying over the columnar cells there are
polyhedral
• As we pass towards the surface of the
epithelium these cells become
progressively more flat, so that the most
superficial cells consist of flattened
squamous cells.
Locations:

1- Non-keratinized

stratified squamous

epithelium: covers the

skin of whole of the body

and forms the epidermis.

2- keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium :

-covers wet surfaces exposed to

wear and tear.

-It is seen lining the mouth, the

tongue, the oro- and
laryngopharynx, the
oesophagus,the vagina and the
cornea.
❖Function :

1- It is protective in nature.

2-Keratin prevents dehydration of underlying

tissue.
2-Transitional epithelium:

Description
This is a multilayered epithelium and is 4 to 6 cells
thick. It differs from stratified squamous epithelium in
that the cells at the surface are not squamous. The
deepest cells are columnar or cuboidal. The middle
layers are made up of polyhedral cells. The cells of the
surface layer are large and often shaped like an
umbrella.
Location
Transitional epithelium is
found in the renal pelvis and
calyces, the ureter, the urinary
bladder, and part of the
urethra. Because of this
distribution it is also called
urothelium .
❖Function :In the urinary bladder, it
is seen that cells of transitional
epithelium can be stretched
considerably without losing their
integrity. When stretched it appears
to be thinner and the cells become
flattened.
3- Stratifed Columnar or
Cuboidal epithelium:
Description:
This epithelium consists of two
or more layers of columnar or
cuboidal cells.
❖Location:
Stratified cuboidal and columnar epithelium is seen in
large ducts of exocrine glands like sweat glands, pancreas,
and salivary glands.

❖Function:
Like all stratified epithelia it is protective in function and it
also helps in conducting the secretion of the glands
•Special types of epithelium
 .

1-
Special 3-Myo
Glandular 2- Neuro
types of Epithelium
epithelium Epithelium
epithelium .
.
Glandular epithelium
❖Classification of glands: -

Glands are classified according to:

A- mode of secretion into:

1-Endocrine : ductless gland as thyroid ,pituitary and adrenal

gland.

2- Exocrine : has a duct as salivary glands.

3- Mixed : as liver ,kidney.

B-Number of cells into:

1- Multicellular: Pancreas,
stomach, sweats glands,
salivary glands, mammary
glands, sebaceous glands,
etc.

2- Unicellular: Goblet cells.

C- Nature of Secreted substance:
1. Mucous: as goblet cell.
2. Serous : as parotid gland
3. Mixed : pancrease .
4. Fatty as sebaceous glands
5. Watery as sweat glands.
6. Cellular secretion: ovary and testis.
7. Milky secretion: mammary gland.
D- Mode of secretion:

1-Merocrine secretion refers to

minimal change release of the

product through exocytosis and

most exocrine secretion is by

this mechanism
2- Apocrine,

a portion of the apical

cytoplasm is lost with the
secretory material as
mammary glands
3- Holocrine secretion
involves release of whole cells
or the breakdown of an entire
cell to form the secretion (e.g.,
sebum in sebaceous glands).
E- Branching of ducts:

1- Simple: When all the secretory cells of an exocrine gland discharge

into one duct, the gland is said to be a simple gland.
2- Compound: Sometimes there are a number of groups of secretory
cells, each group discharging into its own duct. These ducts unite to form
larger ducts that ultimately drain on to an epithelial surface. Such a gland
is said to be a compound gland, e.g., parotid gland, pancreas, etc.

F- Shape of the secretory unit: Both in simple and in compound glands

the secretory cells may be arranged in various ways:
• Tubular glands: Glands with secretory unit tubular in shape. The tube
may be straight, coiled or branched, e.g., gastric glands .
• Acinar glands or Alveolar glands :
Glands with secretory unit round or oval in shape, e.g., salivary glands.
The affected type of epithelium is Non-
keratinized stratified squamous epithelium
.prickly heat’ is a common eruption occurring
during the spring or early summer. • It occurs
usually 24 hours after sun exposure and persists
for 7–10 days.
Questions
1. Which of the following is a unicellular gland?
a. Squamous cell
b. Goblet cell
c. Basal cell
d. Basket cell
e. Sertoli cell
• What type of tissue lines the esophagus?
1. Simple squamous epithelium
2. Simple cuboidal epithelium
3. Simple columnar epithelium
4. Stratified squamous epithelium
5. Transitional epithelium.
What type of epithelium is one cell layer
thick?
1. Simple
2. Stratified
3. Squamous
4. Cuboidal
5. Columnar
Discussion & Feedback
References

Mescher, A. (2018). Junqueira's basic histology:

text and atlas. Fifteenth edn. New York: McGraw-
Hill education.