2ND SEMESTER

HISTOLOGY
LECTURE / WEEK 2 / EPITHELIAL TISSUE

PARTS:
I. EPITHELIUM TISSUE
Regeneration
II. GLANDULAR TISSUE
TISSUE • epithelial tissues have a high capacity for
• Cells work together in functionally related groups regeneration
called tissues

Types of tissues:

• Epithelial – lining and covering

• Connective – support
• Muscle – movement
• Nervous – control
I. EPITHELIUM TISSUE
General Characteristics & Functions

• Covers a body surface or lines a body cavity 

Forms most glands Special Characteristics of Epithelia
Functions of epithelium:

• Protection Lateral Surface Features

• Absorption, secretion, and ion transport Factors holding epithelial cells together
• filtration
• Adhesion proteins link plasma membranes of
• Forms slippery surfaces
adjacent cells
Special Characteristics of Epithelia • Contours of adjacent cell membranes
Cellularity • Special cell junctions
o Tight Junctions
• cells are in close contact with each other with little o Adherens Junctions
or no intercellular space between them o Desmosomes
Specialized contacts

• may have junctions for both attachment and

communication

Polarity

• epithelial tissues always have an apical and basal

surface

Support by connective tissue

• at the basal surface, both the epithelial tissue and

Tight ➢ close off intercellular space
the connective tissue contribute to the basement
junctions ➢ Found at apical region of most
membrane
(zona epithelial types
Avascular occludes) ➢ Some proteins in plasma
membrane of adjacent cells are
• nutrients must diffuse  Innervated 
fused

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 ➢ Prevent molecules from passing • Basal lamina and reticular layers of the underlying
between cells of epithelial tissue connective tissue deep to it form the basement
membrane

FUNCTUONS:

• Acts as a selective filter, determining which

molecules from capillaries enter the epithelium
• Acts as scaffolding along which regenerating
epithelial cells can migrate
Adherens ➢ anchoring junction
junctions ➢ Transmembrane linker proteins Epithelial Tissue
(zonula attach to actin microfilaments Classifications & Naming of Epithelia
adherens) of the cytoskeleton and bind
adjacent cells I. First name of tissue indicates number of layers
➢ Along with tight junctions, form
• Simple – one layer of cells
the tight junctional complex
around apical lateral borders of
epithelial tissues
Desmosomes ➢ two disc-like plaques connected
across intercellular space • Stratified – more than one layer of cells
➢ Plaques of adjoining cells are
joined by proteins called
cadherins
➢ Proteins interdigitate into
extracellular space
➢ Intermediate filaments insert
into plaques from cytoplasmic II. Last name of tissue describes shape of cells
side • Squamous – cells wider than tall (plate or “scale”
Gap ➢ passageway between two like)
junctions adjacent cells
➢ Let small molecules move
directly between neighboring
cells
• Cuboidal – cells are as wide as tall, as in cubes
➢ Cells are connected by hollow
cylinders of proteins

• Columnar – cells are taller than they are wide, like

columns

Basal Feature: The Basal Lamina

• Noncellular supporting sheet between the

epithelium and the connective tissue deep to it 
• Consists of proteins secreted by the epithelial cells
Naming Epithelia
• Naming the epithelia includes both the layers
(first) and the shape of the cells (second)
o i.e., stratified cuboidal epithelium
 2ND SEMESTER
HISTOLOGY
LECTURE / WEEK 2 / EPITHELIAL TISSUE

• The name may also include any accessory ➢ Lining of ventral body cavity
structures (serosae)
o Goblet cells
o Cilia
o Keratin
• Special epithelial tissues (don’t follow naming
convention)
o Pseudostratified
o Transitional

Simple Description
Squamous ➢ single layer of flat cells with
Epithelium disc-shaped nuclei
Special types
Endothelium (inner covering)
➢ slick lining of hollow organs
Simple Description
Mesothelium (middle covering)
Cuboidal ➢ single layer of cube-like cells
➢ Lines peritoneal, pleural, and
Epithelium with large, spherical central
pericardial cavities  Covers
nuclei
visceral organs of those
Function
cavities
➢ secretion and absorption
Function
Location
➢ Passage of materials by
➢ kidney tubules, secretory
passive diffusion and
portions of small glands,
filtration
ovary & thyroid follicles
➢ Secretes lubricating
Simple Description
substances in serosae
Columnar ➢ single layer of column-
Location
Epithelium shaped (rectangular) cells
➢ Renal corpuscles
with oval nuclei
➢ Alveoli of lungs
➢ Some bear cilia at their
➢ Lining of heart, blood and
apical surface
lymphatic vessels
➢ May contain goblet cells 
Function
➢ Absorption; secretion of
mucus, enzymes, and other
substances
➢ Ciliated type propels mucus
or reproductive cells by
ciliary action
Location
Non-ciliated
➢ form  Lines digestive tract,
gallbladder, ducts of some
glands

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 Ciliated form STRATIFIED EPITHELIA
➢ Lines small bronchi, uterine ➢ Contain two or more layers of cells
tubes, uterus ➢ Regenerate from below  Major role is protection
➢ Are named according to the shape of cells at
apical layer

Stratified Description
Squamous • Many layers of cells
Epithelium • squamous in shape
• Deeper layers of cells appear
cuboidal or columnar
• Thickest epithelial tissue –
adapted for protection
Specific types
Keratinized
➢ contain the protective protein
keratin
➢ Surface cells are dead and full
Pseudostratifie Description of keratin
d Columnar ➢ All cells originate at Non-keratinized
Epithelium basement membrane ➢ forms moist lining of body
➢ Only tall cells reach the openings
apical surface Function
➢ May contain goblet cells and ➢ Protects underlying tissues in
bear cilia areas subject to abrasion
➢ Nuclei lie at varying heights
within cells Location
➢ Gives false impression of Keratinized
stratification ➢ forms epidermis
Function Non-keratinized
➢ secretion of mucus; ➢ forms lining of esophagus,
propulsion of mucus by cilia mouth, and vagina
Locations
Non-ciliated type
➢ Ducts of male reproductive
tubes  Ducts of large glands
Ciliated variety
➢ Lines trachea and most of
upper respiratory tract

Transitional Description
Epithelium ➢ Basal cells usually cuboidal or
columnar
 2ND SEMESTER
HISTOLOGY
LECTURE / WEEK 2 / EPITHELIAL TISSUE

➢ Superficial cells dome shaped or • Connection is transformed into tubular ducts lined
squamous with epithelial cells through which the secretions
Function pass to reach the surface
• stretches and permits distension • Secretory portion and ducts
of urinary bladder • Examples:
Location o sweat gland
• Lines ureters, urinary bladder o sebaceous gland
and part of urethra o salivary gland
o mammary gland

Types of Exocrine Gland

Based on the Number of Cells:

UNICELLULAR

➢ Consist of isolated glandular cells

➢ Example: goblet cells

Goblet cells

Glandular Epithelia/Glands ➢ Goblet cells produce mucin

• Arise during fetal life from covering epithelia by ➢ Mucin + water = mucus
o Proliferation of cells and their down ➢ Protects and lubricates many internal body
growth into the underlying connective surfaces
tissue
o Followed by further differentiation

MULTICELLULAR

Types of Glands ➢ Composed of cluster of cells (acinar)

• Based on Path of Release of their Products ➢ Secretory portion and ductal portion
o Exocrine Gland ➢ Examples: salivary gland, exocrine pancreas
o Endocrine Gland

Exocrine Gland
• Glands that retain their connection with surface
epithelium

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 Exocrine:
Sweat
Gland

Simple Coiled Tubular

Exocrine:
Sebaceous
Multicellular: Pancreas Gland

Based on the Number of Ducts

Simple ➢ Have only one unbranched duct

glands

Compound ➢ Have ducts with 2 or more Simple Branched Acinar

glands branches Exocrine:
Mammary
Gland

Based on the Secretory Portion

Tubular ➢ short or long and coiled

Compound Tubuloalveolar
Acinar ➢ round or globular
➢ Either type may be branched Exocrine:
Pancreas
Compound • tubular, acinar or tubuloacinar

Compound Acinar

Multicellular Exocrine Glands

• Classified by structure (branching & shape) of
duct
• Can also be classified by mode or type of
secretion
EXOCRINE o Merocrine secretion
INTESTINA o Apocrine secretion
L GLANDS o Holocrine secretion

Merocrine ➢ secretory vesicles released via

secretion exocytosis (salivary glands)
SIMPLE TUBULAR
 2ND SEMESTER
HISTOLOGY
LECTURE / WEEK 2 / EPITHELIAL TISSUE

➢ Examples: pancreas, parotid

salivary glands

Apocrine ➢ apical portion of the cell is lost,

secretion cytoplasm + secretory product
(mammary glands)
Serous cells: pancreas
Mucous Cell ➢ Expanded apical end filled with
pale staining droplets of
strongly hydrophilic
glycoproteins called mucin 
➢ Nucleus located at the cell
base
➢ Larger lumen  Mucus
Holocrine ➢ –entire cell is destroyed during
secretion
secretion secretion (sebaceous gland)
➢ Example: goblet cells

May also be classified by types of secretions from exocrine

Mucous Cells: Salivary Gland
glands

➢ Serous
o mostly water but also contains some
enzymes
o Ex. parotid glands, pancreas
➢ Mucous
o mucus secretions
o Ex. sublingual glands, goblet cells
➢ Mixed
o serous & mucus combined
o Ex. submandibular gland
Mixed Serous and Mucous
Serous Cells ➢ Polyhedral or pyramidal cells
Endocrine Gland
➢ Central rounded nuclei
➢ Gland whose connection with the surface is lost
➢ Small lumen  Watery
during development
secretions
➢ Release their products into the bloodstream for
transport to target tissues

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 2 Types (based on arrangement of cells)
• Those that form anastomosing cords interspersed
between dilated blood capillaries
• Examples: adrenals, parathyroid, anterior
pituitary  Those arranged as vesicles or follicles
filled with noncellular materials
• Example: thyroid gland

Control of Glandular Activity

• Hormonal
o Thyroid, adrenal cortex, ovary, testes
• Humoral
o Parathyroid
• Neural
o Adrenal medulla, salivary glands