HISTOPATHOLOGY I

Lecture 11
Epithelium Tissue Part I

Introduction
Epithelium is one of the basic types of tissue
They include both surface epithelia and solid
organs
Surface epithelia cover or line all body
surfaces, cavities and tubes
They are involved in secretion, selective
diffusion, absorption, physical protection,
transcellular transport, containment, and
detection of sensation

Introduction
Many of these major functions may be
exhibited at a single epithelial surface
For example, the epithelial lining of the small
intestine is primarily involved in absorption of
the products of digestion, but the epithelium
also protects itself from noxious intestinal
contents by the secretion of a surface coating
of mucus

Introduction
Surface epithelial form continuous sheets
comprising of one or more layers of cell
Epithelial cells are bound to adjacent cells by a
variety of membrane specialisations called cell
junctions
Cell junctions provide physical strength and
mediate exchange of information and
metabolites

Introduction
All epithelia are supported by a basement
membrane of variable thickness
Basement membrane separate epithelia from
underlying supporting tissues
Epithelia are NEVER penetrated by blood
vessels
Thus, they are critically dependent on the
diffusion of oxygen and metabolites from
adjacent supporting tissues

Introduction
Therefore, epithelial cells are polarised with
one side facing the basement membrane and
underlying supporting tissues (the basal
surface), and the other facing outwards (the
apical surface)

Classification of Epithelia
Surface epithelia are traditionally classified
according to 3 morphological characteristics:
1. The number of cell layers

A single layer of epithelial cells is called

simple epithelium, whereas epithelium
composed of several layers is a stratified
epithelium

Classification of Epithelia
2. The shape of the component cells

This is based on the appearance in sections

taken at right angles to the epithelial surface
Cells are either squamous (flattened),
cuboidal or columnar
In stratified epithelia, the shape of the
outermost layer of cells determines the
descriptive classification

Classification of Epithelia
3. The presence of surface specialisations such
as cilia and keratin

For example, the epithelial surface of the skin

is classified as stratified squamous
keratinising epithelium since it consists of
many layers of cells
The surface cells are flattened (squamous) in
shape, and it is covered by an outer layer of
the proteinaceous material, keratin that is
synthesised by the epithelial cells

Glandular Epithelia
Epithelium that is primarily involved in
secretion is often arranged into structures
called glands
Glands are merely invaginations of epithelial
surfaces, which are formed during embryonic
development by proliferation of epithelium
into the underlying tissues
For example, glandular epithelium is
characteristic of the lining of the
gastrointestinal tract

Glandular Epithelia
Some solid organs are composed largely of
epithelial cells with a supporting tissue
framework
Some of these organs are connected to the
surface epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract
by a branching system of ducts and belong to
the category of exocrine glands, e.g. the
salivary glands

Glandular Epithelia
Endocrine glands on the other hand have lost
their connection to the epithelial surface from
which they developed and release their
secretions directly into the blood, e.g. the
thyroid gland

Simple Epithelia
Simple epithelia are defined as surface
epithelia consisting of a single layer of cells
Simple epithelia are almost always found at
interfaces involved in selective diffusion,
absorption and / or secretion
They provide little protection against
mechanical abrasion and thus are not found
on surfaces subject to much stresses

Simple Epithelia
The cells comprising simple epithelia range in
shape from extremely flattened to tall
columnar, depending on their function
For example, flattened simple epithelia are
ideally suited to diffusion and are therefore
found in the air sacs of the lung (alveoli), the
lining of blood vessels (endothelium) and
lining body cavities (mesothelium)

Simple Epithelia
In contrast, highly active epithelial cells, such
as the cells lining the small intestine are
generally tall since they must accommodate
the appropriate organelles
Simple epithelia may exhibit a variety of
surface specialisations, such as microvilli and
cilia, which facilitate their specific surface
functions

Simple Epithelia

Simple Epithelia
1. Simple squamous epithelium
They are composed of flattened, irregularly
shaped cells forming a continuous surface
that is sometimes called pavemented
epithelium
The term squamous derives from the
comparison of the cells to the scales of a fish
Like all epithelia, this delicate lining is
supported by an underlying basement
membrane

Simple Epithelia
Simple squamous epithelium is found lining
surfaces involved in passive transport
(diffusion) of either gases (as in lungs) or fluids
(as in walls of blood capillaries)
It also forms the delicate lining of the pleural,
pericardial and peritoneal cavities where it
allows passage of tissue fluid into and out of
these cavities

Simple Epithelia

Silver
method /
neutral
red
320x

Simple Epithelia
The previous slide shows a mesothelial lining
of the peritoneal cavity that has been stripped
from the underlying tissues and spread onto a
slide
This allows a surface view of simple squamous
epithelium
The intercellular substance has been stained
with silver thereby outlining the closely
interdigitating and highly irregular cell
boundaries

Simple Epithelia
The nuclei are stained a dark shade of red

Simple Epithelia

HE
800x

Simple Epithelia
The previous slide shows the lining of the lungs
(alveoli)
It shows the typical appearance of simple
squamous epithelium in section
The epithelial cells are so flattened that they
can only be recognised by their nuclei, which
bulge

Simple Epithelia
The supporting basement membrane is thin
In HE stained preparations, it has similar
staining properties to the endothelial cell
cytoplasm
Therefore, it cannot be seen in the slide

Simple Epithelia
2. Simple cuboidal epithelium
Simple cuboidal epithelium represents an
intermediate form between simple squamous
and simple columnar epithelium
The distinction between tall cuboidal and low
columnar is often subjective
Simple cuboidal epithelium usually lines small
ducts and tubules that may have excretory,
secretory or absorptive functions

Simple Epithelia
For example, the collecting tubules of the
kidney and the small excretory ducts of the
salivary glands, and pancreas

Simple Epithelia

HE
400x

Simple Epithelia
In the previous slide, the epithelial cells appear
square, which leads to its traditional
description as cuboidal epithelium
On the surface view, however, the cells are
actually polygonal in shape
The nucleus is usually round and located in the
centre of the cell
The slide shows the cells lining a collecting
tubule in the kidney

Simple Epithelia
The boundaries between individual cells are
very clear
The underlying basement membrane appears
as a prominent darker red
Usually it is indistinguishable from the
epithelial cell cytoplasm by HE staining

Simple Epithelia
3. Simple columnar epithelium
Simple columnar epithelium is similar to
simple cuboidal epithelium except that the
cells are taller and appear columnar in
sections at right angles to the basement
membrane
The height of the cells may vary from low to
tall columnar depending on the site and / or
degree of functional activity

Simple Epithelia
The nuclei are elongated and may be located
towards the base, the centre or occasionally
the apex of the cytoplasm: this is known as
polarity of the nucleus
Simple columnar epithelium is most often
found on absorptive surfaces such as in the
small intestine, although it may constitute the
lining of secretory surfaces such as that of the
stomach

Simple Epithelia

HE,
800x

Simple Epithelia
The previous slide shows simple columnar
epithelium taken from the lining of the gall
bladder
In this location it has the function of absorbing
water, thus concentrating bile
Note the polarity of the nucleus, most are
centrally placed while a few are at the apex of
the cytoplasm

Simple Epithelia
4. Simple columnar ciliated epithelium
Some simple columnar epithelium have
surface cilia on the majority of the cells
Among the ciliated cells are scattered nonciliated cells that usually have a secretory
function
Cilia are much larger than microvilli and are
readily visible with the light microscope

Simple Epithelia
Each cilium consists of a finger-like projection
of the plasma membrane
Its cytoplasm contains modified microtubules
Each cell may have up to 300 cilia that beat in a
wave-like manner synchronised with the
adjacent cells
The waving motion of the cilia propels fluid or
minute particles over the epithelial surface
Simple columnar ciliated epithelium is found
mainly in the female reproductive tract

Simple Epithelia

HE 320x

Simple Epithelia
The previous slide was taken from the
Fallopian tube (oviduct)
The predominant cell type in this epithelium is
tall columnar and ciliated, the nuclei being
located towards the apical aspect of the cells
The less numerous non-ciliated cells have a
secretory function
Ciliary action facilitates transport of the ovum
from the ovary towards the uterus

Simple Epithelia
5. Pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium
Another variant of simple columnar
epithelium is described in which the majority
of cells are also usually ciliated
The term pseudostratified is derived from the
appearance of this epithelium in section
It gives the false impression that there is
more than one layer of cells
In fact, this is a true simple epithelium since
all the cells rest on the basement membrane

Simple Epithelia
The nuclei of these cells, however, are
disposed at different levels
This creates the illusion of cellular stratification
Pseudostratified epithelium is almost
exclusively confined to the airways of the
respiratory system and is therefore often
referred to as respiratory epithelium

Simple Epithelia

HE
200x

Simple Epithelia

HE
400x

Simple Epithelia
The previous slide shows the lining of a
bronchus
In the respiratory tract, the cilia propel a
surface layer of mucus containing entrapped
particles towards the pharynx in what is often
described as the mucociliary escalator
The mucus is secreted by non-ciliated goblet
cells found amongst the ciliated cells

Simple Epithelia
Pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium
may be distinguished from true stratified
epithelia by 2 characteristics
1. The individual cells of the pseudostratified
epithelium exhibit polarity, with nuclei being
mainly confined to the basal two-thirds () of
the epithelium
2. Cilia are never present on true stratified
epithelia

THE END