General Histology

Epithelial Tissue

Dr. Ali Mahdi Mutlag

Epithelial tissues are composed of closely aggregated
polyhedral cells with very little extracellular substance.
These cells have strong adhesion and form cellular sheets
that cover the surface of the body and line its cavities.
 Structure of Epithelial Tissues

EPITHELIA

Covering Glandular Epithelium

cover the external surface line the cavities of the body

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 Structure of Epithelial Tissues

EPITHELIA

SIMPLE COMPOUND

ONE CELL THICK MORE THAN ONE CELL THICK

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SQUAMOUS CUBOIDAL COLUMNAR

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

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Simple Squamous & Cuboidal Epithelia

Squamous (single arrow)

• Formed by flattened cells whose

nuclei often appear to bulge
outwards.
• Found in places where there is
movement of materials and even
cells across the epithelium.
Example here is from the loop of
Henle in the kidney, also found
lining all blood vessels, forming
Bowman’s capsule in the renal
cortex.

Cuboidal (double arrows)

• In section cell profiles appear as

squares with central nuclei.
• Found lining tubules in kidney,
walls of thyroid follicles Often
involved in secretory functions
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Nucleus of simple Nucleus of simple
squamous cell cuboidal cell

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Simple Columnar Epithelium

• Found extensively in the gut,

glands and ducts of glands.

• Cells taller than they are wide

although height variable.

• Ovoid nuclei basally located.

• Example here from the

stomach.

• Cells often involved in

secretion (as in the stomach)
and also in absorption as in
the small intestine

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 Basal Laminae & Basement Membranes

All epithelial cells in contact with subjacent connective tissue

have at their basal surfaces a felt-like sheet of extracellular
material called the basal lamina.
It appears as an electron-dense layer, 20–100 nm thick,
consisting of a network of fine fibrils,
The dense layer or lamina densa. In addition, basal laminae
may have electron-lucent layers on one or both sides of the dense
layer, called clear layers or laminae lucida.
Basement membrane.

The basal laminae to two

neighboring epithelia can
fuse or appear to fuse in
places where there is no
intervening connective
tissue. It can be seen by
the light microscope
Functions Basal lamina have.
• Simple structural and filtering functions,
• They are also able to influence cell polarity;
• Regulate cell proliferation and differentiation by binding
and concentrating growth factors;
• Influence cell metabolism and survival;
• Organize the proteins in the adjacent plasma membrane
(affecting signal transduction); and serve as pathways for
cell migration.
• The basal lamina seems to contain the information
necessary for many cell-to-cell interactions, such as the
reinnervation of denervated muscle cells. T
• The presence of the basal lamina around a muscle cell is
necessary for the establishment of new neuromuscular
junctions.
Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium
The upper picture is from the
seminal vesicle and the lower from
the trachea.

In both cases note how the nuclei

are at different levels in the cells
giving the
appearance of more than one
layer.

In the case of the section of

trachea the
columnar cells carry a surface
specialization (cilia - arrowed) and
also have flask shaped goblet cells
between them (G)

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 Metaplasia
means the conversion, in postnatal life, of one cell type to another.
Understanding the steps leading to metaplasia is important for two reasons.
Firstly, it tells us something about the normal developmental biology of the
tissues that interconvert. Secondly, metaplasia predisposes to certain forms
of neoplasia..
Thank You