Upper GIT (NutritionModule) upper GIT

Objectives
By the end of this lecture the student should able to:
 Describe the histological structure (LM&EM) oflips & tongue.
 Describe the histological structure (LM&EM) ofsalivary glands.
 Describe the histological structure (LM&EM) ofesophagus.
 Describe the histological structure (LM&EM) offundus & pylorus of stomach.
Lips
Each lip is made of skeletal muscles, connective tissue (C.T.) rich in
elastic fibers, blood capillaries, and labial glands. It has two surfaces:
Outer surface: covered with thin skin which is formed of:
 Epidermis composed of keratinized stratified squamous epitheliumrich in free nerve endings.
Dermis composed of loose connective tissue rich in elastic fibers. It contains hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and
sweat glands.Inner surface: covered with a mucous membrane which is made of:
 Non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium which is rich in nerve endings and its cells are rich in glycogen.
 Corium or lamina propria which is formed of connective tissue rich in elastic fibers, blood and capillary vessels,
and sensory nerve endings.
 Labial glands which is a minor salivary glands present in the connective tissue and open in the surface of the lip by
very small ducts.
Free margin of the lip
It is a transitional zone between the skin surface and the mucous membrane of the human lips only. It is
covered with partially keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The red color of the lip margin is due to a reflection
from the blood vessels present in the underlying connective tissue papillae. No sweat glands or hair follicles are present.

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 Tongue
It is present in the oral cavity and is made of skeletal muscles arranged in three different planesand covered on both
surfaces by a mucous membrane (stratified squamous epithelium) and corium of connective tissue. It has two surfaces;
dorsal and ventral.
Dorsal surface:
 It is covered with mucous membrane (mostly keratinized stratified squamous epithelium)
which is firmly adherent to the underlying connective tissue.
 It is raised into small projections known as tongue papillae.
 On the dorsal surface of the tongue, there is a V-shaped groove called the sulcus terminals which divides the tongue
into; anterior two thirds (palatine portion) and posterior one third (pharyngeal portion).

Ventral surface:
 It is covered with mucous membrane (non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium)which is loosely
attached to the underlying connective tissue.
 It is freely mobile and not raised into papillae.
Tongue papillae (lingual papillae)
Each papilla has a core of connective tissue that is covered with keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. According to
their shapesthey are:
Filiform papillae
They are conical in shape, very numerous, and cover the dorsum
surface of the anterior 2/3 of the tongue.

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Fungiform papillae
They are “mushroom” shaped with rounded tips and present on the
sides and tips of the tongue. The epithelium has few taste buds.

Circumvallate papillae
They are large papillae, with broad tops and constricted
bases that arranged in a V-shaped row slightlyanterior
to the sulcus terminalis.

They are up to 12 papillae and

surrounded by a deep groove where a numerous taste buds are seen. VonEibner’s glands are serous salivary glands
which open in this groove.

Foliate papillae
They are well developed in the posteriorpart of the tongue of
rabbit but rudimentary in man. They are formed ofridges of
connective tissue covered withepithelium that are rich in taste
buds.
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 Taste buds
They are neuroepithelial, flask-shaped bodies, concerned with taste sensation. They situated in between stratified squamous
epithelium on the fungiform, circumvallate and foliate papillae of the tongue and through the lining of the mouth and throat.
They contain the following types of cells:
 Gustatory or hair cells (Light cells): they have apical
microvilli, that projectthrough the gustatory pore. Their
basal parts are surrounded by non- myelinatednerve
endings.
 Sustentacular cells (Dark cells): tall columnar cells
with long apical microvilli and basal elongated
nuclei,they are supporting in function.
 Basal cells: small undifferentiated cells
with poorly developed organelles and relatively large. They act as stem cells for the
previous types.

Digestive tube
The wall of the digestive tube is formed of four layers; mucosa (epithelial lining,lamina propria of C.T., muscularis
mucosa), submucosa, musculosa and serosa oradventitia)
Esophagus
The esophagus is a straight, long, narrow, and muscular tube, 10 inches in length. Itconnect the pharynx with the
stomach. It is wall consists of four layers:
Mucosa:
 Epithelial lining: is non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.

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 Lamina propria (corium) : is the loose C.T. layer, rich in blood vessels, lymphatics, and mucous glands called cardiac
glands at the upper and lower ends of the esophagus.
 Muscularis mucosa: is an inner circular and outer longitudinal layers of smooth muscle fibers.
Submucosa:
It is the layer of loose C.T. that is rich in relatively large blood vessels, lymphatics, Meissner’s plexus of nerves, and mucous
glands which are present in esophagus of human and dogs (simple branched tubulo-alveolar that appear as pale acini in H&E
sections).
Musculosa:
It is formed of inner circular and outer longitudinal layers which are striated fibers in the upper 1/3 of esophagus and
smooth fibers in the lower 1/3 but in the middle 1/3both kinds are found. All the muscles of esophagus are involuntary.
Adventitia (fibrosa):
It is formed of C.T. containing blood vessels lymphatics and nerves. It binds theesophagus with its surroundings.

Changes at the gastro-esophageal junction

 The stratified squamous epithelium of the esophagus changes
abruptly into simple columnar which lines the stomach.
 The C.T. corium of the mucosa of the stomach contains branchedtubular glands.
 The esophageal glands present in its submucosa, stop or continue for
a short distance in the submucosa of the stomach.
 The musculosa becomes thicker in the stomach due to appearance ofan inner oblique layer of muscles.

Stomach
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 Regions of the stomach

Histologically, only 3 regions are distinguished:

 The cardiac region surrounds the entrance of the esophagus. The mucosa is a smallarea of predominantly mucus-
secreting glands.
 The fundic & body regions: The mucosa forms most of the section and consists of
glands which secrete gastric juice and mucus.
 The pyloric region secretes mucus.
Fundus
Mucosa:

 When the stomach is empty, the Mucosa is thrown into prominent longitudinal folds called “rugae” that flatten when it is
full.
 Epithelial lining: is tall simple columnar epithelial cells that secrete mucus. These cells are called surface mucous cells.
Gastric pits are little depressions in thestomach lining in which the gastric glands open.
 Lamina propria: formed of loose C.T. and the fundic glands which occupy most ofit.
 Muscularis mucosa: Two thin layers of smooth muscles, arranged as an inner circular and outer longitudinal layer.

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 Submucosa:
It is the layer of loose C.T. that is rich in relatively large blood vessels,
lymphatics, nerve fibers(Meissner’s autonomic plexus).
Musculosa:
It is formed of inner oblique, middle circular and outer longitudinal layers of
smooth muscle fibers. The autonomic myenteric (Auerbach’s) plexus is found
between the layers of the muscle fibers.
Serosa:
This outer layer of loose C.T. covered with mesothelium.
Fundic glands
Each gland consists of straight,
simple, branched tubularglands
which synthesize and secrete
gastric juice. Each fundic gland has
3 regions: an isthmus that opens to

the surface in gastric pit, a short neck and a long body.

Epithelial cells of the fundus:

Surface mucous cells
L/M
 They are present at the sides of the gastric glands.
 They are columnar cells with basal oval nuclei.
 In H&E stained sections, they appear pale while in
sections stained with PAS, they appear red in color.
E/M
 They contain apical mucin droplets and well-developed Golgi apparatus
and roughendoplasmic reticulum.
Function
 They secret a neutral mucous that protects the surface of the
stomach from theacidity of its secretion.

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Undifferentiated stem cells
 They are present in the gastric pits, isthmus, neck and base of each gastric
gland.
 They are low columnar cells with pale cytoplasm.
 They can be changed to other gastric cells.
Mucus neck cells.
L/M
 They are present in the neck of the gastric gland.
 They are low columnar cells with basal flattened nuclei.
 Their cytoplasm is foamy in appearance.
E/M
 They have short microvilli, apical
mucin granules, supranuclear
Golgi apparatus and basally
located roughendoplasmic
reticulum.
Function
 They secrete an acidic mucus.
Parietal or oxyntic cells
L/M
 They are present in the isthmus, neck and base of the gastric glands.
 They are triangular in shape.
 The apex of such cell
does not reach the lumen
of the gland, thus the cells
are called parietal cells.
 Each parietal cell has an acidophilic
cytoplasm and a central rounded nucleus.
E/M
 The cytoplasm
is very rich in
intracellular
canaliculi.
 Many large microvilli are present on the

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 outer surface of the cells.
 Their cytoplasm is very rich mitochondria
and sER, but very poor in ribosomes and rER.
Golgi body is very small and there are no secretory granules.
Functions
 HCL formation and secretion.
 Secretion of the intrinsic factor which is glycoprotein essential for e
aborption ofvitamin B12.
Peptic cells (chief cells or zymogen cells)
L/M
 They are the most numerous cells of the gastric gland.
 They are present mainly in the base of the fundic glands.
 They are columnar cells with rounded nuclei.
 They have apical acidophilic cytoplasm and basal
basophilic cytoplasm.
E/M
 The nucleus is large and basal with prominent nucleolus.
 The chromatin material contain both types; active
euchromatin and inactive heterochromatin.
 The basal part of the
cytoplasm is rich in rER and
free ribosomes with many
mitochondria. Prominent
Golgi apparatus is found
supranuclear. Zymogen
secretory granules occupy
the apical part.
 The surface cell membrane contains short microvilli.
 The cells attached to the neighboring cells by cell junction complex.
Functions
The cells mainly secret pepsinogen. They also secrete lipase.

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Enteroendocrine (argentaffin) cells
L/M

 They are found in the bases of the fundic glands.

 They do not stain by routine methods. They are stained with silver (so
calledargentaffin), and with dichromate salts (so called enterochromaffin).
 They are oval in shape with apical darkly stained nucleoli.
E/M

 The nucleus is apical with prominent nucleus.

 The cytoplasm contains many basal and scattered small electron dense
secretory granules. The cytoplasm has many free ribosomes, poorly
developed Golgi apparatus and few rER with dilated cisternae.
Mitochondria are spherical or elongated. Lipofuscin pigment bodies may be
present.
Type and functions

 G-cells: secrete gastrin (stimulates secretion of HCI).

 EC cells: secrete serotonin (vasoconstrictor).
 A-cells: secrete enteroglucagon (increases blood sugar level).
 D-cells: secrete somatostatin (antigrowth hormone).
 Cells secreting endorphin (pain killer).
Pylorus
Mucosa

 Epithelial lining: is tall simple columnar epithelial cells that secrete

mucus.
 Lamina propria: formed of loose C.T. and the pyloric glands which
occupy about half of the mucosal thickness.
 Muscularis mucosa: an inner circular and outer longitudinal layer.
Submucosa:
It is the layer of loose C.T. that is rich in relatively large blood vessels,
lymphatics, nerve fibers (Meissner’s autonomic plexus).

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 Musculosa:
It is formed of inner circular and outer longitudinal layers of smooth muscle
fibers. The circular layer is very prominent and constitutes the pyloric sphincter.
Serosa:
This outer layer of loose C.T. covered with mesothelium.

Characteristics of pyloric glands

They are widely separated from each other.
They are shorter than the fundic glands.
They are branched and coiled glands with wider lumen.
The gastric pits are deeper than those of the fundus.
Their secretory part are coiled, so they are cut in cross and oblique
sections.
The surface cells are columnar cells, while the secretory parts of the glands
are lined mainly by mucous cells and enteroendocrine cells.
The pyloric glands at the pyloric sphincter contain some parietal cells.

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