FACULTY OF MEDICINE

BMD 1102- CELL AND TISSUE

ANATOMY LECTURE # 2

EPITHELIA AND GLANDS

Dr. Deepa
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this session the student would be able to:
▪ Define epithelial tissue and list its function
▪ Classify and describe epithelial tissue and give examples of
their distribution with regards to function
▪ Classify glands based on mode of secretion and describe their
salient features with examples
▪ Classify exocrine glands based on duct system and structure
of secretory unit
▪ Describe the structure of serous, mucous and mixed glands.

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 EPITHELIAL TISSUE
DEFINITION:
▪ The thin protective layer of cells covering the body surfaces or
lining the internal surfaces of the body cavities, tubes and
hollow organs

▪ CHARACTERISTICS OF EPITHELIAL TISSUE:

• Cells are closely packed together
• Cells rest on a basement membrane
• Contains no capillaries,
• Nutrition is derived from the nearest capillaries
• Surface cells are destroyed by wear and tear , and are
replaced by new cells produced by mitosis-phenomenon-
turn over

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 education.med.nyu.edu
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 FUNCTIONS
▪ PROTECTION–mechanical abrasion, chemical injury, bacterial
invasion

▪ ABSORPTION–nutrients and ions

▪ FILTRATION–allows passage of solutes with certain sizes

▪ SECRETION-secretion of enzymes, hormones or mucous

secretion

▪ SENSORY RECEPTION–reception of external stimuli

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 ▪ BASEMENT MEMBRANE:
• a thin, delicate membrane of protein fibres and
mucopolysaccharides separating an epithelium
from underlying tissue

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 CLASSIFICATION OF EPITHELIUM
Structurally and functionally divided into :
▪ Covering epithelium
• covers the body surfaces or lines the cavities of
the body

▪ Glandular epithelium
• specialized cells that produce secretion

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 CLASSIFICATION OF COVERING EPITHELIA
Epithelial tissue

Simple Compound

Squamous
Stratified Transitional

Columnar
Squamous Columnar Cuboidal
Cuboidal

Pseudostratified
Keratinized Non -keratinized

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 ▪ Covering epithelium
❖ Covers the body surfaces or lines the cavities of the
body
• External surface
o epidermis of the skin

• Internal surface
o body cavities (peritoneal, pericardial and
pleural cavities)
o tracts/tubes (digestive tract, respiratory tract,
blood vessels)

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 CLASSIFICATION OF EPITHELIUM
▪ Based on 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

▪ Based on Shape of cells

• Squamous- flat, scale-like
• Cuboidal- about equal in height and width
• Columnar- taller than wide

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 CLASSIFICATION OF EPITHELIUM

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 SIMPLE EPITHELIUM
❑ 4 types-
▪ Simple Squamous
▪ Simple Columnar
▪ Simple Cuboidal
▪ Pseudostratified

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 SIMPLE SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
▪ Single layer of flattened cells with
disc-shaped nuclei and sparse
cytoplasm

▪ Locations: kidney glomeruli, air sacs

of lungs, lining of heart, blood
vessels, lining of ventral body cavities

▪ Functions:
• allows passage of materials by
diffusion and filtration
• secretes lubricating
• substances in body cavities

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 SIMPLE CUBOIDAL EPITHELIUM
▪ Single layer of cube-like cells with rounded nuclei
▪ Locations: kidney tubules, ducts and secretory
portions of small glands, ovary surface
▪ Functions:
• absorption
• Secretion

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 SIMPLE COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM
▪ Single layer of tall and column-like cells with oval
nuclei
▪ Locations: intestines, gall bladder, uterine tube
▪ Functions:
• absorption
• secretion

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 PSEUDOSTRATIFIED EPITHELIUM
▪ Appear as if it consists of more than one layer but
only a single layer is present with all cells resting on
the basement membrane.
▪ Cells are tall and short with nuclei located at different
levels
▪ Locations: respiratory tract, epididymis, ductus
deferens
▪ Functions:
• absorption
• secretion

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 STRATIFIED EPITHELIUM

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 Stratified squamous epithelium

▪ 2 types : keratinised and non-keratinised

▪ Locations:
• keratinised : skin
• non-keratinised : all body openings (mouth, anus,
vagina, oesophagus)
▪ Function:
• protection –withstand physical abrasion and resist
chemical injury

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 Stratified squamous epithelium

▪ 2 types : keratinised and non-keratinised

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 Stratified squamous epithelium
▪ Keratinised- skin

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 Stratified squamous epithelium
▪ Non- keratinised- vagina

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 Stratified cuboidal epithelium
▪ Rare
▪ Locations: ducts of sweat glands, mammary glands
and salivary glands
▪ Function:
• protection

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 Stratified columnar epithelium
▪ Rare
▪ Locations: large ducts of exocrine organ, male
urethra
▪ Functions:
• protection
• secretion

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 Transitional epithelium
▪ Special epithelium
▪ Number of cell layers is changeable according to the state of
the organ
▪ Surface cells : large and binucleated
▪ Locations: lined most of the urinary tract such as urinary
bladder
▪ Function:
• allows distension

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 Specialization of epithelial cell surfaces
Based on the function of the cells :
▪ microvilli
▪ cilia
▪ Stereocilia
▪ Flagella

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 Specialization of epithelial cell surfaces

Microvillus
▪ finger-like projection
▪ to increase the surface area
of the cells
▪ absorption
▪ locations : intestine, kidney
(PCT)
▪ in LM, appear as striated
border/brush border

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 Specialization of epithelial cell surfaces
Cilia
⮚ elongated, motile projections
⮚ move material along the cell
surface
⮚ location : respiratory epithelium

Flagella
⮚ similar structure to cilia, but
longer and fewer
⮚ aids in movement
⮚ location : spermatozoa

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 Specialization of epithelial cell surfaces
Stereocilia
▪ elongated, non-motile projections
▪ increase surface area of absorption
▪ location : epididymis

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 Glandular epithelium

a. Presence/absence of duct
b. Number of cells
c. Type of secretion
d. Mode of secretion
e. Shape of the gland

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 a. Classification according to presence or absence of
duct :
▪ Exocrine gland
▪ Endocrine gland

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 Differences between exocrine And endocrine Glands

Exocrine Gland Endocrine Gland

Presence of duct No duct, directly into blood

Mucous or serous Hormone

secretion (enzyme)
Secretes directly to the
site of action
Exert effects rapidly
Brief effects
Secretes hormone into
blood
Exert effects relatively
slow
Prolonged effects

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 Differences between exocrine And endocrine Glands

Exocrine Gland Endocrine Gland

Eg: Sweat gland, salivary Eg: Pituitary gland,
gland, gastric gland suprarenal gland, thyroid
gland

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 b. Classification according to
number of cells

Unicellular gland : eg: goblet cells

are modified columnar epithelial
cells
▪ Secrete mucus
▪ Found in respiratory epithelium
and gastrointestinal tract

Multicellular gland :
▪ In most glands

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 c. Classification according to type of secretions
▪ Serous gland -watery secretion.e.g. enzymes
(parotid gland)
▪ Mucous gland -viscous glycoprotein. (anal gland)
▪ Seromucous gland –mixed. (submandibular
gland)

Parotid gland Anal gland Submandibular gland

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 d. Classification according to mode of secretions
▪ Merocrine-Secretory granules leave the cell by
exocytosis without loss of other cellular materials.
e.g. Pancreatic gland
▪ Apocrine-Secretory granules discharged together
with parts of the apical cytoplasm. e.g. Mammary
glands, some of sweat gland.
▪ Holocrine-Secretory granules shed with the whole
cell. e.g. Sebaceous gland.

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 Merocrine

Apocrine

Holocrine

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 e. Classification according to shape of gland

DUCT SYSTEM SECRETORY COMPONENT

▪ Simple🡪 unbranched duct
Branched
▪ Compound🡪 branched duct ▪ Tubular
Coiled
Simple
▪ Acinar
Branched
▪ Tubuloacinar

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 Classification according to shape of gland

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 Lining epithelium

SIMPLE STRATIFIED

▪ Simple squamous ▪ Stratified squamous

▪ Simple cuboidal
▪ Simple columnar
▪ Pseudostratified
columnar
▪ Keratinized
▪ Non-keratinized
▪ Stratified cuboidal
▪ Stratified columnar
▪ Transitional

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 GLANDULAR EPITHELIUM

Duct/ No. of Type of Mode of Shape

ductless cells secretion secretion

- Exocrine - Unicellular - Mucous - Merocrine - Duct

e.g goblet Simple/
- Endocrine cells - Serous - Apocrine compound

-Multicellular - Seromucous - Holocrine - Secretory

portion
Tubular/
acinar/
tubuloacinar

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 References
Mescher, A.L. 2010. Junqueira’s Basic Histology. New York:
McGraw Hill.
Young, B. & Heath, J.W. 2002. Wheater’s Functional Histology.
Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone.
Leslie P. Gartner & James L. Hiatt. 2007. Color textbook of
Histology. Saunders Elsevier.
Ghallab, A. 2000. Introduction to Functional and Clinical
Histology. Egypt: El-Meleagy Press.

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