University of Basrah

College of Medicine
Department of Human Anatomy

Histology lecture
The Digestive System
(The oral cavity )
Lecture 2
By
Dr. Israa Yousif
2023

The palate

• The roof of the oral cavity consist of

the palate, which has two parts :

- An anterior hard palate and

- A Posterior soft palate .
 The hard palate
1.The hard palate
The mucosa covering hard palate is
composed of: K. Stratified
epithelium
- A keratinized stratified squamous
epithelium (Masticatory Mucosa) periosteum
- Lamina propria : dense connective tissue
( beneath the epithelium).
- The mucosa is firmly attached to
periosteum of underlying bone.

*Hard palate is immovable structure.

* Masticatory Mucosa: During mastication, parts of oral mucosa
are subjected to forces and pressure

The soft palate

(the oral aspect)

2. The soft palate :mucosa has 2 aspects

a. The oral aspect : is lined by

1 - Epithelium :non keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium
2- Lamina propria : supported for epithelium
contains :
- miner salivary gland (mucous palatine
glands.
- striated muscles.
 The soft palate
(the nasal aspect)
Soft
b. The nasal aspect : is lined by palate

1- Respiratory epithelium :ciliated

Pseudostratified columnar epithelium
2- Lamina propria : connective tissue

• Soft palate is : movable structure

Nasal aspect :
is lined by ciliated
Pseudostratified columnar
epithelium

The oral cavity

the cheeks

the cheek
- Is lined with a mucous membrane
(buccal mucosa) which is consist of
- Thick stratified squamous epithelium non
keratinized.
- Lamina propria : connective tissue (contains
small mucous & serous glands that moisten
the epithelial surface
- Striated muscle found in the deep tissues.
 The Tooth
● Normally there are 32 permanent
teeth in adults arranged in two
bilateral symmetric arches .
● Anatomical parts:
crown (corona dentis)
neck (cervix)
root (radix)
pulp cavity, root canal, apical foramen

- Teeth are situated in the alveolar bone

sockets in jaws.

The general structure of the tooth

. The crown is the portion that projects abovethe gingiva
. The crown is covered by the hard tissue enamel
. The bulk of a tooth is composed of the dentine which
surrounds the pulp cavity.

. Each tooth has one or more roots below the gingiva

that hold the teeth in bony sockets (alveoli)

. The roots are covered by the cementum.

 The tooth

The enamel

The dentin

The pulp cavity

Tooth
The basic histological structures of the teeth
1. the hard tissues :
enamel ,dentin and
cemented, highly mineralized
tissues
2. the soft tissue: pulp cavity.

3. the supporting tissues:

periodontal ligaments,
gingiva and alveolar bone
 The hard tissue of the teeth
(the enamel)

The hard tissues of the teeth

1)The enamel
- The hardest structure in the body and the richest
in calcium salts .
- Covers the anatomical crown
- The organic matrix of enamel is synthesized by
ameloblasts,:which are tall columnar cells
having mitochondria, rER and Golgi complex

- They are lost after eruption, incapable of repair .

Hard tissue of the teeth

( the dentine)

The hard tissues of the teeth

2) the dentine
- It is a calcified tissue harder than bones due to
high concentration of calcium salts.

- It is composed High amount of type 1 collagen

fibrils and calcium salts .

- The organic matrix of dentine is secreted by

the Odontoblasts which :
- are tall columnar secretory cells,
- lay close to nerve fibers of pulp cavity so it is
sensitive to pain and cold .
 The hard tissue of the teeth
(the cementum)
The hard tissues of the teeth.
3)The cementum :
Hard tissue, covering the entire
cementocyte
root surface.
Cementum has been classified into:

1. Acellular cementum :
-Is thin and covers the cervical root
-Does not contain cells .

2. Cellular cementum:
- Has cells ( cementocytes) present
within a lacunae found mainly in
apical third of root .

The soft tissue of the tooth

the pulp cavity

The soft tissues of the teeth

. the pulp cavity
- Loose connective tissue ,consist of collagen fibrils,
Blood vessels lymphatic vessels and nerves.

- The blood vessels and nervous tissue enter the

tooth through the apical foramen and extend
into the pulp.

apical foramen
 The periodontal ligaments

The supporting tissues of the tooth

. The periodontal ligaments
-fibrous tissue, which has wide bundles of
collagen fibers.
Function: periodontal ligaments bind the Periodontal
tooth to the alveolar bone. ligaments

The gingivae or gums

The supporting tissue of the tooth

- Gingivae or gums
-highly keratinized stratified squamous
epithelium
-lamina propria: connective tissue forming a
protective layer around the tooth.
 The soft tissue of the too
the gingivae or gums

Gingivae:
(highly keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium)

Periodontal ligaments

The oral cavity

the pharynx
- Pharynx, (Greek: “throat”)
- Cone-shaped passageway leading from the
oral and nasal cavities to the esophagus and
larynx.
Functions:
- Helps in the process of swallowing,
- It serves as a pathway for the
movement of food from the mouth to
the esophagus.
 The oral cavity
the pharynx

The pharynx is divided into three

sections:
- nasopharynx,
- oropharynx,
- laryngopharynx.
laryngopharynx.

* The Eustachian tube is a part of the

middle ear which is opened into
nasopharynx .

The Pharynx
The Pharynx
- Nasopharynx is
covered by the ciliated
pseudostratified columnar
epithelium with goblet cells
that is found in the nasal
cavity.
 The pharynx
The other two regions of the pharynx,
- oropharynx and laryngopharynx,
are lined by non keratinizing stratified
squamous epithelium.

-Epithelium rests on the connective

tissue (lamina propria) .

THE END