L1,2_histo

Upper GIT
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
epithelium rich 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.

Tongue
It is present in the oral cavity and is made of skeletal
muscles arranged in three different planes and 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).
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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 shapes they are:
Filiform papillae:
They are conical in shape, very numerous, and cover the dorsum surface of
the anterior 2/3 of the tongue.
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 slightly anterior to the sulcus terminalis.They
are up to 12 papillae and surrounded by a deep groove where a numerous
taste buds are seen. Von Eibner’s glands are serous salivary glands which
open in this groove.
Foliate papillae:
They are well developed in the posterior part of the tongue of rabbit but
rudimentary in man. They are formed of ridges of connective tissue covered
with epithelium that are rich in taste buds.
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 project through the gustatory pore.
Their basal parts are surrounded by non- myelinated nerve 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.

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Salivary glands
• The main large salivary glands: two parotid glands present in front of both ears, two
submandibular (submaxillary) glands lie against the inner aspect of the mandible and
two sublingual glands present below the mucous membrane of the floor of the mouth.
• The accessory small salivary glands: under the mucous membrane of the lip, tongue,
tonsil and mouth cavity.
General structure of main salivary glands
Stroma:
• C.T. capsule: which cover the whole gland from outside.
• C.T. Trabeculae: which are the C.T. septa that divide the gland into lobes and lobules.
• C.T. reticular network: which are present in the background of the whole gland.
Parenchyma:
• Acini: which are formed of collections of cells, they secrete saliva.
• Ducts: which are lined by epithelial cells, they conduct saliva to the mouth cavity.
Types of salivary acini
Serous acini:
L/M
• The cells are pyramidal in shape with non-clear cell boundaries. The nucleoli are central
and rounded.
• The cells have basal basophilic and apical acidophilic cytoplasm.
• The lumen is relatively narrow.
E/M
• The cells show the characteristic ultrastructural features of protein synthesis.
•Abundant rER mainly in the basal region.
• Prominent supranuclear Golgi apparatus.
• Many ribosomes and mitochondria.
• Apical secretory (zymogen) granules.
Function
They produce watery secretion rich in proteins that also contains enzymes.
Mucous acini:
L/M
• The cells are cuboidal in shape with clear cell boundaries.
• The nucleoli are small, basal and flattened.
• The cytoplasm is pale and acidophilic and has a foamy appearance.
• The lumen is relatively wide.
E/M
• Few cell organoids are found around the basal nucleus.
• Mucous secretory granules occupy most of the cytoplasm.
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Function: They produce a thick viscid glycoprotein mucus.

Mucoserous acini:
• They are mixed secretory unit.
• They are made of mucous secreting cells, but in addition, a small cap of serous secretory
cells is present on one side of the mucous acinus. This cap is termed serous Demilune or
crescent of Gianuzzi.
Duct system
Intralobular ducts
•These ducts are found inside the lobules in-between the secretory acini.
•They are generally lined by simple cuboidal epithelium with central and rounded nuclei and
surrounded by a thin layer of C.T.
•They transport the secretory products from the acini to the interlobular excretory ducts.
•They are of 2 types:
Intercalated ducts: very small ducts from the lumen of the acini and have a low cuboidal lining
cells.
Striated ducts: lined with simple cuboidal epithelium. The cells have a basal striation due to
the basal infoldings of the cell membrane and parallel mitochondria.
interlobular ducts
•They are located in C.T. septa between the lobules.
•They are lined by high columnar cells.
Interlobar ducts
•They are larger ducts in between lobes of the glands.
•They are lined with pseudostratified columnar and eventually stratified columnar with
increasing luminal diameter.
Main duct
•It is lined with stratified columnar at its beginning, then with stratified squamous epithelium
near its opening in the mouth cavity.
Myoepithelial cells (basket cells)
L/M
•They are branched cells with multiple cytoplasmic processes and central
nuclei.
•They are lying between the bases the secretory cells and their basement membrane of
mucous and serous acini.
E/M
•The cytoplasmic processes contain microfilaments;
actin and myosin.
Function: Its contraction squeezes the secretion out into
the duct system.

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Parotid Glands
They are purely serous and produce about 25% of the total salivary volume.
Stroma of C.T.
Capsule: is well developed and cover the whole gland from outside.
Trabeculae: are thick C.T. septa that divide the gland into lobes and
lobules.
Reticular network: present in the background of the whole gland.
Parenchyma
Acini: are purely serous.
Ducts: consists of intralobular, interlobular, interlobar and main ducts.
The main duct opens onto the inner surface of the check opposite the second upper molar
tooth.
Submandibular glands
They are mixed mucoserous and produce about 70% of the total salivary volume.
Stroma of C.T.
Capsule: is well developed and cover the whole gland from outside.
Trabeculae: are thick C.T. septa that divide the gland into lobes and
lobules.
Reticular network: present in the background of the whole gland.
Parenchyma
Acini: are mixed mucoserous acini. Serous Demilune is present.
Ducts: consists of intralobular, interlobular, interlobar and main ducts. The main duct opens
onto the floor of the oral cavity posterior to the lower incisor tooth.
Sublingual gland
They are mixed mucoserous and produce about 5% of the total salivary volume.
Stroma of C.T.
Capsule: is well developed and cover the whole gland from outside.
Trabeculae: are thick C.T. septa that divide the gland into lobes and
lobules.
Reticular network: present in the background of the whole gland.
Parenchyma
Acini: are mixed mucoserous acini (mostly mucous).
Ducts: consists of intralobular, interlobular, interlobar and main ducts.
The main duct opens near the submandibular duct.

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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 or adventitia)
Esophagus
The esophagus is a straight, long, narrow, and muscular tube, 10 inches in length. It connect
the pharynx with the stomach. It is wall consists of four layers:
Mucosa:
•Epithelial lining: is non-keratinized stratified squamous
epithelium.
•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 1/3 both 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 the esophagus
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 branched tubular 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 of an inner oblique layer
of muscles.

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Stomach
Regions of the stomach
Histologically, only 3 regions are distinguished:
•The cardiac region surrounds the entrance of the esophagus. The mucosa is a small area 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 the stomach lining in which
the gastric glands open.
•Lamina propria: formed of loose C.T. and the fundic glands which occupy most of it.
•Muscularis mucosa: Two thin layers of smooth muscles, arranged as 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).
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 tubular glands 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.
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E/M
•They contain apical mucin droplets and well-developed Golgi apparatus and rough
endoplasmic reticulum.
Function
They secret a neutral mucous that protects the surface of the stomach from the acidity of its
secretion.
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 rough endoplasmic 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 outer surface of the cells.
•Their cytoplasm is very rich mitochondri 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 the absorption of vitamin
B12.

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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.
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 called argentaffin), 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).

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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).
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.
Changes at the pyloro-duodenal junction
● Appearance of intestinal villi which project from the mucosal
surface.
● The intestinal crypts replace the pyloric glands.
● Appearance of goblet cells in the villi and crypts of the intestine.
● The surface columnar cells acquire a brush (striated) border.
● Appearance of Brunner’s glands in the submucosa of duodenum.
● The Musculosa is thinner in the small intestine than the pylorus.

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