EPITHELIA TISSUE

Dr Antipas Furaha
afuraha77@gmail.com
Anatomy department

16^th January, 2022

 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this session each students should
be able to :
 Describe the features of epithelia tissues.
 Describe the structure of epithelia tissue.
 Describe the functions of epithelia tissue.
 Describe the different types of epithelia tissue.
 Describe the modes of gland secretion
 Understand the clinical correlations of epithelia
tissue
 GENERAL FEATURES
• Epithelium is one of four basic body tissues
which is formed by closely aggregated polyhedral
cells with small amount of extracellular matrix.
• They line the internal or external surface of body.
The cells are closely connected to one another to
form a sheet on the surface. Have little
intercellular space.
• They are polarized/sidedness, have apical pole
and basal pole.
• They are avascular. Rely on underlying
connective tissue for nutrients and O2.
• They have ability for cell division so they can
regenerate and repair.
 Principal functions of Epithelium

 Protect the underlying tissues from

chemical, physical damage, uv light e.g.
epidermis of the skin.
 Barrier for water loss e.g. on skin
 Absorption of nutrients e.g. epithelia of
gastrointestinal tract.
 Secretion e.g. in the parenchymal cells of
gland.
STRUCTURE OF EPITHELIA
TISSUE
 Basement Membrane
• All the epithelial cells rests on
Basement membrane. It lies between
the epithelia and the underlying
connective tissue.
• It is divided into basal lamina and
fibrous reticular lamina.
• Basal lamina is found immediately
beneath the epithelia. Made of type IV
collagen and laminin which anchor the
epithelial cells. It’s constituents are
secreted by the epithelial cells.
• Reticular lamina secreted by fibroblast of
connective tissue . Composed of collagen
type III ,VII.
• The functions of the basement membrane
are
 It anchor the epithelial to the connective tissue
through trans membrane protein integrin.
 It act to filter the macromolecules passing from
ECM to the epithelia
 It help to organize proteins in the cell membrane
of epithelia hence maintain polarity.
 It act as scaffold during repair and regeneration of
epithelial cells.
 Clinical relevance
• Basement membrane participate in the
process of glomerular filtration in the
kidneys. Its derangement may result into
proteinuria in nephrotic/nephritic
syndrome.
• In the disease which causes thickening of
BM may interfere with supply of O2 and
nutrients to the epithelia. Example
diabetes mellitus.
 Intercellular Junctions
• There three types of intercellular junctions
namely:
 Occluding junctions
e.g. Tight junctions
 Adhering junctions
e.g. desmosomes
 Communicating junctions
e.g. Gap junction
 Tight junction(zonulae occludens)
• Web like branched strands that encircle the
perimeter of apical membrane. Involved the
attachment of transmembanous proteins between
claudin and occludin.

• Prevents the flow of material in intercellular space.

Ensure movement is through the cells. Prevent the
contents of organs to reach the underlying tissues.
Example urotheliam of urinary tract , stomach
contain urine and acids, intestine and Blood brain
barrier.
 Clinical relevance

• When the tight junction of stomach are

destroyed ( e.g. by helicobacter bacteria)
lead to gastric ulcers, perforation, bleeding.
 Adherens junction

• Occur immediately below the TJ.

They also encircle the membrane. Involved the
trans membrane protein cadherin of adjacent
cells which bind in the presence of Ca2+.
• In the cytoplasmic side is connected to
microfilaments.
• Main function is firmly anchor cell to its
neighbor , prevents separation of cells.

 Clinical relevance
when malignant tumor cells lose their
cadherin, gain the ability to migrate and
invade the surrounding tissues.
 Desmosomes
• Disc shaped structure in two adjacent
cells. Contain protein of cadherin family
i.e. desmoglein and desmocollin.
• In the intercellular space there is plaques
which interact btn adjacent cells.
• In the cytoplasmic side is connected to
intermediate filaments which joins the
adjacent desmosomes.
• They form strong cellular adhesion.
Common in skin
 Clinical relevance
• Blistering Bullous diseases e.g. pemphigus
vulgaris are due autoimmune attack of
desmosome lead to loss of cell adhesion.
 Gap (communicating) junction

• Mediate intercellular communication.

Consists transmembranous protein
connexins arranged in cylindrical shaped
connexons .
• Has central pore 1.5 nm . Allow flow of
small molecules like ions, nucleotide .
• Enable the cells to act in coordinated
manner
 Specialization of Apical surface
 Microvilli
• Finger like projection of epithelia on the apical
surface. 1 um long and 0.1 um wide.
• Its core consist of bundle of actin filaments
running longitudinally extend to terminal web.
• They increase the surface area for absorption.
Increased the surface area by 20-30 times.
• E.g. brush borders on the epithelial cells of
intestine and proximal kidney tubules.
 Stereocilia
• Longer than microvilli present in
epididymis and vas deferens, sensory hair
cells in inner ear.
• They also increase surface area for
absorption.
 Cilia

• Active motile process. 5-10 um long.

• Extending from basal body.
• Its core is made of longitudinal arranged
microtubules (axoneme) which have 9+2
arrangement. 9 peripheral doublet of
microtubules joined by the dyneim and
central doublet.
• The ciliary beating are due to conformation
changes of axoneme in which dyneim arm
with ATP causes sliding of adjacent doublet
relative to each other lead to bending of
axoneme causes movt of cilia.
• Function to propel substance along the
surface of the cell.
Structure of cillia
 Clinical relevance

• Mutation of protein in the cilia may result in their

dysfunction lead to disease like Immotile Cilia
syndrome in which may have
 Recurrent lung infections due to accumulation
of secretions and particles.
 Low fertility in women due to impair cilia in
follopian tubes to transmit the zygote to the
uterus.
 Infertility in men due to inability of
spermatozoa to move.
 TYPES OF EPITHELIA
• Main two groups according to their
structure and function:
 Covering (lining) epithelia and
 Glandular epithelia.
 Covering Epithelia
• Cover the external surface or line the cavities
of the body.
• Classified according to the number of cell
layers and the morphology of outer cell layer.
 Simple epithelium
contains only one layer of cells
 Stratified epithelium
contains more than one layers
 Simple Epithelium
• Based on cell shape, simple epithelia are
further classified as
 Squamous (thin cells),
 Cuboidal (cell width and thickness
roughly similar)
 Columnar (cells taller than they are
wide).
 Simple Squamous
• Lining of vessels (endothelium);
Serous lining of cavities: pericardium,
pleura, peritoneum (mesothelium),
alveolus of the lungs.
Simple Squamous
• Facilitates the movement of the viscera
(mesothelium), active transport by
pinocytosis (mesothelium and
endothelium), secretion of biologically
active molecules (mesothelium), exchange
of materials in alveolus and capillaries.
 Simple Cuboidal
• Covering the ovary, thyroid
• Function: Covering, secretion
Simple Cuboidal
 Simple Columnar

• Cells are rectangular shaped.

• Lining of intestine, gallbladder,
• Function: Protection, lubrication absorption,
secretion
Simple Columnar
 Stratified Epithelium

• Two or more layers of cells

• Classified into
 Squamous
 Cuboidal
 Columnar
 Transitional
 Stratified Squamous

• The cells on the surface are flattened . The

basal cells are oval round shape and have
high rate of mitosis. New formed cells
moved superficially and flattened.
o Stratified squamous keratinized epithelia
• Their superficial cells lose their
organelles and nucleus to be packed
with keratin. E.g. epidermis of the skin
important in preventing water loss
from the body
 Stratified Squamous
 Squamous
keratinized (dry)
from Epidermis
• In case of large surface area burn lead to loss of
epidermis and water loss from the body.

o Stratified squamous non keratinized epithelia.

• Superficial cells have little keratin and retain
their nucleus and organelles. They show
metabolic activities. They are present in oral
mucosa, pharynx, esophagus,lower part of anal
canal and vagina .
 Squamous nonkeratinized (moist)

 Squamous non
keratinized (moist).
 Stratified Cuboidal Epithelia

• Consists of 2-3 cell layers , superficial being

cuboid and deeper layer polyhedral . They
are rare found in ducts of sweat glands, in
the ovarian follicles.
• Main function: Protection, secretion
Stratified cuboidal epithelia
 Stratified Columnar

• Very rare composed of columnar

superficial layer and deeper with cuboid
shape. Present in seminiferous tubules of
testis and conjunctiva
• Function: Protection
 Transitional Epithelium
( urothelium)
• Is characterized by a superficial layer of
large, dome-like cells (unstretched)
sometimes called umbrella cells lines
but when stretched they flattened.
• They have ability to be stretched. In
unstretched condition they may have 5-
8 layers but when stretched the number
of layers become 3-4 but the length
increase.
• Lining the urinary tract, extending from
the kidneys to the proximal part of the
urethra
• are specialized to protect underlying
tissues from the hypertonic and
potentially cytotoxic effects of urine
• Because they can be stretched allow the
urine bladder to distend when filled with
urine.
Transitional Epithelium
 Pseudostratified

• Pseudostratified columnar: false stratified , cells

have different height but all cells lie on the
basement membrane. Not all cells reach the
luminal end so their nuclei appear at different
levels on microscope giving the picture of
stratification.
• They line the upper respiratory tract i.e. nasal
cavity, nasopharynx, trachea and bronchi. In which
the shorter cells secrete mucus to trap particles in
air and tall cells posses cilia for transport the
mucus/particles toward the pharynx
Pseudostratified
 Medical Application

• In chronic bronchitis, common among

habitual smokers, the number of goblet
cells in the lining of airways in the lungs
often increases greatly.
• This leads to excessive mucus production
in areas where there are too few ciliated
cells for its rapid removal and contributes
to obstruction of the airways..
• The ciliated pseudostratified epithelium
lining the bronchi of smokers can also be
transformed into stratified squamous
epithelium by metaplasia
 Glandular Epithelia
• Are formed by cells specialized to
produce secretions (Macromolecules)
eg.
 Pancreas- secret proteins
 Adrenal, sebaceous glands- secrete
lipids
 Salivary glands complexes of
carbohydrates and proteins.
• Types of glandular epithelia are

 Unicellular glands
•Consist of isolated glandular cells
Eg. goblet cell of the lining of the small

intestine or of the respiratory tract

 Multicellular glands
-Are composed of clusters of cells
 Unicellular glands

• Are scattered secretory cells in the

epithelial tissue mainly in simple
columnar, Pseudostratified and in
simple cuboid.
• Example is goblet cells in intestine
and respiratory tract which secrete
mucus for lubrication.
 Multicellular Glands
• Glandular epithelia develop from covering epithelia in
the fetus by proliferation and grow to the underlying
connective tissue followed by cell differentiation.
• Exocrine gland retain their connection with epithelial
surface . The connection form tubular duct which is
lined by epithelial cells and transport secretion to the
surface.
• Endocrine gland lose their connection to their original
epithelia hence they lack ducts. The capillaries adjacent
to the endocrine gland absorbs their secretion and
transport them
RENEWAL OF EPITHELIAL CELLS

 Epithelial tissues are relatively labile

structures whose cells are renewed
continuously by mitotic activity and stem
cell populations
 Epithelia are normally capable of rapid
repair and replacement of apoptotic or
damaged cells.
 MEDICAL APPLICATION
• Some epithelial cells are prone to abnormal
growth or dysplasia, which can progress to
precancerous growth called neoplasia
• Malignant tumors of epithelial origin are
called carcinomas
• Malignant tumors derived from glandular
epithelial tissue are called
adenocarcinomas
 REFERENCES
• Janqueira, Carneiro-Basic Histology-Text and
Atlas 11 edition, chap 4.
• Platzer, Werner (2008). Color atlas of human
anatomy
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epithelium
• Entrez PubMed
• Google scholar, various publications
Thank you for listening