Ameran University

Faculty of Medicine and

Health Science

Histology III
Lecture(3)
Digestive system
For
Human Medicine Students
The second level

Lecturer of
Dr. Haqema Ahmed
References:
1.Dr. Makarchuk Iryna
2. Dr. S. M. Saeed
GCEA- Unversity of Cambridge
esophagus
 It is a straight muscular tube extending from
pharynx to the stomach in abdomen.
 It is about 25 cm long,
histological structure:
1.MUCOSA:
Epithelium: Non-Keratinised sratified squamous
epithelium
Function: protect against injury which is caused by
the passage of semisolid masses of food.
Lamina Propria: Thin layer of loose CT.
It contains blood vessels, nerves, lymphatics and
mucous glands called Cardiac Oesophageal Glands
Muscularis Mucosae:
- It is thicker than other parts of GIT
- It is single layer of longitudinally running smooth
muscle fibers
2.Submucosa :
- It is a wide layer of irregular, moderately loose
connective tissue composed of bundles of
collagen and elastic fibers.
- Due to elastic fibers mucosa is thrown into
folds, hence lumen of esophagus appears star
shaped
- Contains blood vessels , nerves, lymphatics
and branched tubulo- alveolar mucous
glands
Function of gland: secretion the mucous into
the lumen by its duct which passage through
the mucosa
3- MUSCULARIS EXTERNA
Arranged in two layers:
- Inner layer: Circular
- Outer layer: Longitudinal
Between the two layers – Myenteric plexus of nerve fiber and ganglion cells are
present.
TYPES OF MUSCLES:
Upper 1/3rd – Skeletal muscle
Middle 1/3rd – Both skeletal and smooth muscle
Lower 1/3rd – purely smooth muscle
4. Adventitia
Loose areolar CT with B.V., lymphatics and nerves
STOMACH
Stomach is a dilated segment of the digestive tract
Function:
 digest food( the food inters the stomach as semisolid and still 3-4
hr. than leave it as semifluid mass termed chyme)
 secrets hormone(somatostatin enteroglucagon and gastrin)and
mixed with food
 The gastric juices secreted by the mucosal glands

 Limited absorption to salts, water, alcohol and druge

Component of gastric juices :

HCL, pepsin, rennin, lipase, mucus, intrinsic factors which bind with
B12 (serotonin and endorphin substances)
There are three histological regions:
 Cardiac region (surround the cardiac orifice)

 Fundus and body region

 Pyloric region (antrum , canal and pylorus)

 The fundus and body are identical in microscopic structure

 The mucosa and submucosa of the undistended stomach lie in

longitudinally directed folds known as rugae
 When the stomach is filled with food, folds flatten out
 1.CARDIAC REGION OF THE STOMACH
1. Mucosa:
 Epithelial lining at the cardio-oesophageal junction
changes from stratified sq. to simple columnar
epithelium
 Presence of Mucous surface cells

 Lamina propria : loose CT and become present between

the epithelial
 The esophageal glands disappear at the junction and
are replaced branched by the tubular glands of the
stomach.(cardiac glands)
2. Submucosa:
Irregular dens CT, Consists of Meissner’s plexus and blood
vessels
3. Muscularis externa:
The thin muscles of esophagus are replaced by the thick
muscles of stomach (smooth muscle)
 2.STOMACH -
FUNDUS
 Mucosa:
 It is thick and darkly stained

- Lining Epithelium – Simple columnar epithelium

that invaginates to various extents into the lamina
propria, forming gastric pits.
Gastric Glands are of 3 types according to
the anatomical regions of the stomach .
1- Cardia Gastric Glands present in the cardiac
region of stomach. They are lined with
columnar and very few parietal cells.
2- Fundic Gastric Glands present in the
fundus and body of stomach. And appear
Numerous gastric pits (faveolae)
3- Pyloric Gastric Glands present in the
pyloric part of stomach
• Foveola Gastricae are the opining of gastric pits that serve as gastric gland( branched tubular gland)
• Notice: gastric pits are not parts of gland and lined by epithelium which invaginated from the surface
epithelium.
• Structure of epithelial cell in gastric gland
1. Nucleus is basal
2. Cytoplasm
 Has some basal basophilic
 Golgi is superanuclear
 Apical cytoplasm contains on spherical mucin granules and formed by Golgi apparatus (PAS stain)
 RER and mitochondria are basal
 Laminal border has short microvilli
 The cells are attached by tight junctions
Functions:
1. These cells are involved in mucus secretion. The mucus protects the epithelial lining from damage due to
the presence of acid in the stomach and in its absence the mucosa become ulcerated
2. Tight junction and mucus act as barriers against acid
3. These cells are regenerate and replacement by the motility stem activation cells which lying in the neck
region ( all 3-5 days)
 Lamina propria:
- Loose areolar CT, it contains the Small tubular fundic/gastric glands
Properties
 Branched tubular gland
 It crowded by little CT between the gland
 Occupy the whole thickness of the mucosa
 Open in lumen by short narrow gastric pits (1/4 or 1/3 of gland length)
 Formed of isthmus , neck and body
- Types of cells:
i) Mucous neck cells
Located just below gastric pit(neck).
shape- single and Columnar in shape and tends to be irregular because it is
lodged between the larger rounded partial cells,
nuclei are basally situated basally
Cytoplasm : basal basophilic , and pale vacuolated cytoplasm ( due to
dissolved mucin) and have short microvilli , apical mucin granules with
basal RER and superanuclear Golgi bodies.
function - Produces soluble mucus
b. Parietal or oxyntic cells:
- location: More numerous in the upper half of the
gland than in the lower half( middle)
- shape: They are large, ovoid or polyhedral cells
with a large central nucleus. don't reach the lumen
of the gland
-cytoplasm is acidophilic , has SER and a more of
intercellular canaliculi and microvilli on the
surface and tubulovesicles
- function: Secretes HCL and intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor combines with vitamin B12 to form
a complex necessary for erythrocytes formation
c. Stem cell
Located in the neck and isthmus gland
Shape: columnar cell with basal oval nuclei
Function: differential to give other cells
d. Chief or zymogenic cells:
Located: in the lower 1/3rd of gastric glands.
shape: they are pyramidal cells with basal rounded nuclei ,
Cytoplasm: Contain rough endoplasmic reticulum near the base, secretory granules near
their apex, stored vesicles and a small Golgi apparatus
function: Secrete pepsinogen which is converted into pepsin in an acid environment.
Rennin and lipase
f. Enteroendocrine and apud cells:
located in the basal portion of gastric glands
Shape: they are columnar cell with large round nuclei
Cytoplasm contains in basal granules
Function: secretes serotonin(EC) , histamine and gastrin(G-cell), glycogen (A- cells),
somatostatin (D-cells) and cell secrete endorphin . these are endocrine cells which
release their products into the blood vessels.
Muscularis mucosae:
it consists of two thin layer of smooth muscles.
i.e., outer longitudinal and inner circular
 Submucosa :

consists of blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and meissner’s plexus.

Muscularis externa:
Smooth muscles
inner: oblique
middle: circular
outer: longitudinal
Serosa :
outermost layers of the stomach which consists of loose connective tissue
covered by mesothelium
 STOMACH - PYLORUS
Mucosa
• They are short simple branched tubular glands.
• They are not crowded .
• They have wide deep gastric pits.
• They are coiled glands with wide lumina
• The Pyloric Glands Are Lined With:-
1- Mucous Columnar cells with flat basal nuclei.
2- Few parietal cells.
3- Entero-endocrine cells similar to those of fundic glands.
Submucosa :It is formed of C.T. rich in B.V., nerves, lymphatics, leucocytes and mast cells.
Musculosa :- It is formed of smooth muscles separated with nerves. In the pylorus the muscles are
arranged as thick inner circular and an outer longitudinal layers.
Serosa :
It is the peritoneal covering of the stomach formed of simple squamous mesotheliuem, C.T., B.V. and
nerves