HH5.
3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY
GLANDULAR EPITHELIUM
 These are epithelial cells that have formed into the
different glands of the body, especially for the function
of secretion.
 An epithelium formed by cells specialized in producing a
substance secretion that differs in composition from
blood or intercellular fluid.
 These compound substances produced by the cells are
generally stored in the cells in small membrane-bound
vesicles called secretory granules.
 Are epithelial cells specialized for secretion.
 Located in the lining epithelium or deep into the surface
referred to as glands.
GLANDS
 Are organs which synthesizes substances from raw
materials delivered to them by the blood stream or which
eliminate pre-existing substances into the bloodstream.
 Derived from proliferation of cells of an embryonic
origin.
 Every cell in the body undergoes cytomorphosis, there
are 4 stages involved.
 If a group of cells will be formed into glands, there will
be proliferation of these cells on a particular part of the
body, there will be more cells that will formed through
active mitosis.
 Since we have 2 major types of glands in the body;
1. Duct system
2. Without the duct system
 In the duct system, there will be a continuation of
proliferating cells and there will be invagination of the
cells into the deeper area of the tissue or site of
formation.
 Since the duct system is connected to the gland, there
will be an association of the surface cells and the inward
BMLS 2
cells to form the duct system. There will be no
detachment of the cells from the surface to the inner
surface, there will be formation of these gland inside the
tissue and we call this ‘exocrine gland’ or the gland with
the duct system.
 If the other gland is formed from the proliferating cells
there is a detachment from the surface cells to the inner
cells, the inner cells will go deeper into the tissue and
will find themselves along blood vessels in the tissue and
will form islets or will form into group of cells near
blood vessels and these are formed as gland cells or
secretory cells without the duct system, so we have the
endocrine gland.
 From the formation of the glands, two glands are formed
in the body;
1. exocrine glands
2. endocrine glands
EXOCRINE
1. SECRETORY PORTION
 Are secretory cells constituting the parenchyma of the
gland or the active cells of the gland that secret a
particular substance which are grouped as tubules, acini
or alveoli.
 Glandular cells vary according to the kind of secretion
and stage of activity.
 Shown in the illustration below is a secretory portion of
the exocrine gland in the acini formation or sac like
structure formation;
a. The upper portion, cells that are not red in color are not
part of the secretory portion but are part of the duct
system of the gland.
b. The formation of the substance inside the gland for
secretion.
2. EXCRETORY PORTION
 With excretory duct
 The excretory duct maybe branched or unbranched
 Conducts glandular products to a free external or internal
body surface.
 In some major exocrine gland main ducts divide into
interlobar ducts located in the connective tissue
trabeculae separating into lobes.
EXOCRINE GLANDS
 interlobar ducts then branch into interlobular ducts
located in the trabeculae between the lobules.
 Interlobular ducts are continuous with the intercalary
ducts, whose branches communicate with the secretory
acini or with the secretory cells.
 Epithelium of the largest duct maybe simple or stratified
columnar. As ducts become smaller it becomes simple
 HH5.3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY BMLS 2

cuboidal and at the terminal portion finally becomes

simple squamous cells.
 The glandular epithelial cells are arranged either in
cords, bundles or islets invested in connective tissue
stroma containing numerous fenestrated blood
capillaries.

SECRETION

EXOCRINE GLANDS
1. pure protein products (enzymatic proteins)
 secretory cells are called serous cells
 acinar cells of the pancreas and parotid glands
 secretory acinar cells or serous cells in the pancreas
and parotid glands secretes pure protein products
2. mucus
 secreted by mucous cells
 goblet cells, mucous neck cells of the gastric glands,
glands of the respiratory tract.
3. substances secreted by special exocrine cells (product is
Goblet Cell
released through a particular process of extension or
o Found in between cells, specially in the digestive
through a duct system)
a. sebum – sebaceous gland system.
b. milk – mammary gland o On the surface of the cell, this are associated with the
c. HCl as Cl‾ and H† ions – parietal cells of gastric microvilli of the cell and inside these goblet cells are
glands secretory vesicles containing mucin forming into a
mucous secretion.
ENDOCRINE GLANDS o Found scattered among columnar cells of the
1. polypeptide or pure protein hormones epithelium on many mucous membranes.
2. glycoprotein hormones o Secretes mucin, a mucus substance of protein
3. steroid hormones polysaccharide, which upon hydration, forms a
4. biogenic amines lubricating solution.
- mostly the endocrines glands are associated with o Fully developed goblet cell has an expanded apical
hormonal secretion end and a slender basal end containing compressed
nucleus with a small amount of deeply staining
I. basophilic cytoplasm.
I. CLASSIFICATION OF GLANDS
I.
ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OR TYPES OF
COMPONENT CELLS
1. Unicellular Gland
 one cell type gland
 Goblet Cell
HH5.3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY BMLS 2

Appearance of the goblet cells in the colon. The whitish

structure seen with a colon tissue are the goblet cells with its
 The main invagination of the glands gives off
mucous substance secretion.
several branches which are tubular in appearance.
2. Multicellular Glands  Gastric Glands
 Composed of two or more cell types
 The simplest form is a sheet of epithelium consisting
of a homogeneous population of secretory cells
 Surface epithelium of the gastric mucosa
 Uterine lining described as secretory sheet

d. Compound Tubular Glands

 composed of several simple or branched tubular
glands closely bound together.
 kidney, testes, liver
II. ACCORDING TO MORPHOLOGY
- Shape of gland and branching of ducts
1. Tubular Gland
a. Simple Tubular Gland
 The gland/duct does not branch
 composed of one straight tube-like gland
 no secretory duct and terminal portion open
directly unto the epithelial surface.
 intestinal gland of Leiberkuhn found in the
jejunum of the small intestine (pic below)

2. Saccular Gland – are sac-like dilatations at their

terminal ends.
a. Simple Saccular Gland
 made up of short tube-like invagination
 dilated at its terminal portion
 small sebaceous glands
 sac like structure or alveoli like structure

b. Simple Convoluted / Coiled Tubular Gland

 The terminal portion is a long-coiled tubule
connected to the surface by a long, unbranched
excretory duct.
 Sweat Gland
c. Branched Tubular Glands b. Branched Saccular Glands
HH5.3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY BMLS 2

 the tube-like invagination gives off branches

wherein terminal portion are dilated
 bigger sebaceous glands

c. Compound Saccular Gland

 made up of several branched saccular glands
 mammary glands On the illustration above, the islet of Langerhans of the
pancreas is considered to be a saccular gland.

d. Compound Tubulo-Alveolar / Compound Tubulo- III. ACCORDING TO HISTOLOGICAL

Acinar / Racemose Gland CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SECRETING
 composed of several units in which pattern is a CELLS
combination of tubular and saccular types. 1. Serous Gland
 alveolus refers to a bigger dilatation with a wider  secreting cells (parenchyma): acidophilic /
lumen than a saccular or acinus. eosinophilic granular cytoplasm with round nucleus
 salivary glands, glands of the respiratory and wider lumen.
passages, pancreas  parotid gland, pancreas
HH5.3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY
2. Mucous Gland
 secretory cells (parenchyma): basophilic, non-
granular, reticulated cytoplasm and a flattened
nucleus towards the basal surface.
 wider lumen compared to the serous gland, round or
irregular in shape
 sub-lingual glands
3. Muco-Serous Glands / Mixed Glands
 secretory cells: both serous and mucous type
 sub-maxillary glands
IV. ACCORDING TO NATURE OF SECRETION
1. serous gland – watery secretion
2. mucous gland – mucinous/viscous secretion
3. muco-serous gland – mixture of watery and mucinous
secretion
4. cytogenic gland – testis and ovary. It is a gland that
produces a cell. Testis – sperm cell, ovary – egg cell or
ovum.
BMLS 2
V.
ACCORDING TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE
PARENCHYMA OR SECRETORY CELLS OR
MANNER OF ELABORATION OF SECRETION
1. Holocrine Glands
 complete destruction of secretory cells during
secretion
 secretory cells become part of secretion
 sebaceous glands
 release of spermatozoa from the seminiferous
epithelium of the testis
 release of graafian follicle of the ovary
During secretion, these structure inside the gland is
liberated. The ovary is both a cytogenic gland and a
holocrine gland.
Illustration of the developing oocyte in the ovary, the
different stages of the development of the follicle in the
ovary.
2. Apocrine Gland
 partial destruction of the distal border of the secretory
cells are involved.
 loss of secretory cells involves only a segment of the
membrane and a thin rim of cytoplasm around the
lipid component of the secretion.
 mammary glands and some sweat glands of the
axilla.
3. Merocrine Glands
 Integrity of the secretory cells are intact during the
process of secretion
 sweat glands and salivary glands
4. Eccrine glands – smaller sweat glands in which
elaborated product is rather an excretion than secretion.
VI. ACCORDING TO THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE
OF EXCRETORY DUCTS
1. Endocrine Glands
 ductless glands
 pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal or
suprarenal, pineal glands and some neurons in the
hypothalamus of the diencephalon of the brain.
2. Excretory Glands – with excretory duct system
HH5.3 (EPITHELIAL TISSUE) HUMAN HISTOLOGY BMLS 2