EPITHELIAL TISSUE

Objectives
• At the end of the lecture, students should be
able to describe;
• The composition of epithelial tissue

• The characteristics of epithelial tissue

• The histological appearance of the different

types of epithelial tissue
• Glandular epithelium and it secretions
 TISSUES

4 Basics tissues of the body

•Epithelial tissue

•Connective tissue

•Muscle tissue

•Nerve tissue
 Characteristics of Epithelial
Tissue
• Polyhedral in 3 dimensions
• Sections; squamous, cuboidal and
columnar
• Shape of the nucleus
• Basal lamina/basement membrane
• Lamina rara/lamina lucida
• polarity
 Functions of Epithelia
• Protecting underlying structures; e.g.,
epithelium lining the mouth
• Acting as barriers; e.g., skin
• Permitting the passage of substances;
e.g., cells lining air sacs in lungs and
nephrons in kidney
• Secreting substances; e.g., pancreatic
cells
• Absorbing substances; e.g., lining of
stomach and small intestine
Epithelial Tissue
Special characteristics
•Cellularity - Consists almost
entirely of cells

•Polarity - Has apical, basal, and

lateral surfaces. Rests on a
basement membrane

•Specialized cell junctions bind

adjacent cells together

•Avascular - no blood vessels

•Regenerative -Replaces lost cells

by cell division
 Classification of Epithelium
• Number of layers of cells
– Simple- one layer of cells. Each extends from
basement membrane to the free surface
– Stratified- more than one layer.
– Pseudostratified- tissue appears to be stratified,
but all cells contact basement membrane so it is in
fact simple
• Shape of cells
– Squamous- flat, scale-like
– Cuboidal- about equal in height and width
– Columnar- taller than wide
Classifications of Epithelia
Simple Squamous Epithelium

Figure 4.3a
Simple squamous
Simple Cuboidal Epithelium

Figure 4.3b
Simple Columnar Epithelium

Figure 4.3c
Pseudostratified Ciliated
Columnar Epithelium

Figure 4.3d
 Stratified Epithelia
• Contain two or more layers of cells
• Regenerate from below
• Major role is protection
• Are named according to the shape of cells
at apical layer
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
• Description
– Many layers of cells – squamous in shape
– Deeper layers of cells appear cuboidal or
columnar
– Thickest epithelial tissue – adapted for
protection
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
• Specific types
– Keratinized – contain the protective protein
keratin
• Surface cells are dead and full of keratin
– Non-keratinized – forms moist lining of body
openings
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
• Function – Protects underlying tissues in
areas subject to abrasion
• Location
– Keratinized – forms epidermis
– Non-keratinized – forms lining of esophagus,
mouth, and vagina
Stratified Squamous
Epithelium

Figure 4.3e
 Stratified cuboidal epithelium

• 2 or more layers of cuboidal cells

• For protection

• Observed in the linings of larger ducts of

mammary glands, sweat glands, salivary
glands, and pancreatic ducts
 Stratified columnar epithelium

• Rare type of epithelium

• protection and secretion

• Observed in the conjunctiva of the eye,

vas deferens, part of the male urethra,
uterus and parts of the pharynx (throat)
Transitional Epithelium

Figure 4.3h
 Intercellular junctions
• Tight junctions or zonula
occludens
• Zonula adherens

• Spot junctions/ macula

adherens or desmosome
• Hemidesmosomes

• Gap junction
Tight Junction/zonula occludens

• Integral proteins of adjacent cells fuse together

• Main proteins caudin and occludin
• Completely encircle the cell and form an
adhesion belt.
• Form an impermeable junction.
• Common near apical region
 Zonula Adherens
• In many epithelia, the next type of junction
encountered is the zonula adherens
• This junction encircles the cell and
provides for the adhesion of one cell to its
neighbour
• This junction is characterised by the
insertion of numerous actin filaments into
electron-dense plaques of material on the
cytoplasmic surfaces of the junctional
membranes.
Zonula Adhesion
Desmosomes/macula adherens

• – two disc-like plaques connected across

intercellular space
– Plaques of adjoining cells are joined by proteins
called cadherins
– Proteins interdigitate into extracellular space

– Intermediate filaments insert into plaques from

cytoplasmic side
 Membrane Junctions: Desmosome
Linker proteins extend from
plaque like teeth of a zipper.
Intermediate filaments extend
across width of cell.

• Common in superficial layers of skin

• Reduces chance of tearing, twisting,
stretching Figure 3.5b
 Hemidesmosomes
• In the contact zone between certain
epithelial cells and the basal lamina
• These structures take the form of half a
desmosome and bind the epithelial cell to
the subjacent basal lamina.
• However, in desmosomes the attachment
plaques contain mainly cadherins,
whereas in hemidesmosomes the plaques
are made of integrins
 Gap Junctions
• Gap junctions are for direct transfer and
exchange of nutrients and signal
molecules between the cells.
• A gap junction consists of proteins
named connexin.
• Many pairs of connexons build the main
communicating channel which can be
found in the lateral surfaces of an
epithelilal cell.
 Membrane Junctions: Gap Junction

• Connexon proteins are trans-

membrane proteins.
• Present in electrically excitable
tissues (heart, smooth muscle)
 Epithelial Surface Features
• Apical surface features
– Microvilli – finger-like extensions of plasma
membrane
• Abundant in epithelia of small intestine and kidney
• Maximize surface area across which small
molecules enter or leave
– Cilia – whip-like, highly motile extensions of
apical surface membranes
• Movement of cilia – in coordinated waves
-Flagella
-Steriocelia
 The Basal Lamina
 Noncellular supporting sheet between the epithelium
and the connective tissue deep to it
 Consists of proteins secreted by the epithelial cells
 Functions:
 Provides support for epithelia/ polarity
 Acts as a barrier
 Acts as a selective filter, determining which molecules
from capillaries enter the epithelium
 Acts as scaffolding along which regenerating epithelial
cells can migrate
 Basal lamina and reticular layers of the underlying
connective tissue deep to it form the basement
membrane
 Basal lamina

• Electron microscopy 20 -100 nm

• Contain lamina densa fibrils

• Has a transluscent layer on one or both

sides; Lamina rara or lucida
• Found also in muscle, adipose and Schwann
cells
 Basal lamina cont’d
• Made up of type IV
collagen, glycoproteins;
laminin entactin,
proteoglycans
• Connected by anchoring
fibrils to the underlying
connective tissue
• Formation by epithelial
cells
 Glandular Epithelium
• A gland is one or more cells that makes and secretes
an aqueous fluid
• Two types of glands formed by infolding of epithelium:

– Endocrine: no contact with exterior of body;

ductless; produce hormones (pituitary, thyroid,
adrenals, pancreas)
– Exocrine: open to exterior of body via ducts
(sweat, oil)
• Exocrine glands classified either by
structure or by the method of secretion

• Classified by structure

– Unicellular: goblet cells

– Multicellular: sweat glands

 Multicellular Exocrine Glands

• Classified on the basis of type of ducts,

shape of secretory portion, mode of
secretion and type of secretory products
 Type of ducts

• Simple: unbranched ducts

• Simple branched: ducts with few

branches
• Compound: ducts that branch
repeatedly
 Shape of secretory portion
• Acini/alveoli; If ducts end in sac-like
structures - Pancreas and Lungs
• Tubular; Ducts can be simple tubular
(intestinal glands) or simple branched
tubular (glands of the fundus of the
stomach)
• Simple coiled; eg sweat glands
 Mode of Secretion
• Merocrine; secretions leave the cell by exocytosis
together with cellular material
• Holocrine; secretory product is shed together with
the whole cell. This involves destruction of the
secretory cell.
• Apocrine; the secretory product is shed together
with the apical cytoplasm of the cell.
 Type of secretory product

• Serous glands; composed of serous acini

and secrete watery secretions
• Mucous glands; composed mainly of viscid,
mucous secretions
• Seromucous glands; contain both mucous
and serous acini
End…