EPITHELIAL TISSUE

Epithelial tissue, commonly referred to as

epithelium is made up of one or more layers of
cells that covers or lines the external and
internal surfaces of various body parts.
It consists of variously shaped cells closely
arranged in one or more layers.
 Types
Simple Epithellium:
(1)Squamous
(2)Cuboidal
(3)Columnar
(4)Pseudo-stratified
Compound or Stratified Epithelium:
(1)Stratified squamous epithelium
(2)Stratified cuboidal epithelium
(3)Stratified columnar epithelium
(4)Transitional epithelium
 Simple epithelium
Are most common concerned with
absorption, secretion and filtration because
simple epithelia are usually very thin,
protection is not one of their specialties.
 Simple squamous epithelium
 It consists of a single thin of flattened cells with boundaries.
 This epithelium occurs in the walls of blood vessels, air sacs of the
lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged, lymph
vessels, wall of Bowman’s capsule, loops of the nephrons of
Kidneys, coelomic cavities.
 Also forms serous membranes
 Functions:
1. Exchange of gases
2. Filtration in Bowman’s capsule
3. Exchange of materials in blood capillaries and tissue fluid.
Simple squamous epithelium, oviduct
 Simple cuboidal epithelium
It consists of a single layer of cube like cells lying on
the basement membrane. Nuclei are rounded and lie
in the centre of the cells. Free surfaces of the cells
may be smooth or bear minute finger-like projections
as microvilli.
It is generally found in the tubular parts of nephrons in
kidneys, ducts of glands, thyroid follicles, salivary
glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes.
Functions:
Reabsorption of useful substances.
Secretion and excretion by glands.
Simple cuboidal epithelium, thyroid gland
 Simple Columnar epithelium
It consists of a single layer of tall and slender cells
lying on a basement membrane.
The intestinal mucosa bearing microvilli is called
brush-bordered columnar epithelium.
It is found in the lining of the entire length of the
stomach and intestine.
Goblet cells- produce lubricating mucus.
Functions:
Absorption
secretion
Simple columnar epithelium, small intestine
 Pseudo-stratified Epithelium
A pseudo-stratfied epithelium is a type of
epithelium that, though comprising only a single
layer of cells, has its cell nuclei positioned in a
manner suggestive of stratified epthelia.
Its cells are columnar but unequal in size.
Pseudo-stratfied non-ciliated columnar epithelium
tissue is found in urethra of human male and in
large ducts of certain glands such as parotid gland.
Pseudo-stratified ciliated columnar epithelium is
found in trachea and large bronchi.
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar
epithelium, trachea
 Compound or stratified epithelium
It consists of multiple layers of cells.
They provide protection to underlying tissues
against mechanical, chemical, thermal or
osmotice stresses
It may be stratified or transitional.
 Stratified squamous epithelium
The most common stratified epithelium in the body.
Is found in sites that receive a good deal of abuse or
friction, such as the esophagus, the mouth and the
outer portion of the skin.
Stratified keratinized squamous epithelium covers
the dry surface of skin.
Stratified squamous epithelium, skin
Stratified squamous epithelium non-
keratinized, esophagus
 Stratified cuboidal and columnar
epithelium
Typically has cell layers with the surface cells
being cuboidal or columnar in shape.
Both of these epithelia are found mainly in
the ducts of large glands.
Stratified cuboidal epithelium, salivary
gland
Stratified columnar epithelium, eyelid
 Transitional epithelium
Is highly modified, stratified squamous
epithelium that forms the lining of only few
organs- the urinary bladder, the ureters, and
part of the urethra.
It is much thinner and more stretchable than
the stratified epithelium.
It lines the inner surface of the urinary
bladder and ureters.
Transitional epithelium, urinary bladder
 Glands
• One or more cells that make and secrete a
product.
• Secretion = protein in aqueous solution:
hormones, acids oils.
• Endocrine glands
• No duct, release secretion into blood vessels;
often hormones.
• Thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands
• Exocrine glands
• Contain ducts, empty into epithelial surface
• Sweat glands, salivary glands, mammary glands
 Exocrine glands classified by product
• Serous glands: it secretes a watery proteinaceous fluid.
Examples include: parotid, gland of von Ebner of the
tongue, pancreas and sweat glands.
• Mucous glands: it secretes mucus, a viscous mixture of
glycoprotein and water. Goblet cells in the small and large
intestines, respiratory epithelium, some glands in the hard
and soft palates and stomach epithelium are examples of
mucous glands.
• Mixed glands: have both serous and mucous secretions
and include the submandibular gland, sublingual gland and
glands in the trachea and esophagus.
• Sebaceous glands: produce lipids. The sebaceous glands in
the skin.
 Exocrine glands classified by mechanisms of
secretion
• Merocrine secretion: in merocrine secretion, the secretory
product is released from the cell by exocytosis without the loss
of cell material. The release of secretory zymogen granules by
pancreatic acinar cells is an example of merocrine secretion.
• Apocrine secretion: the secretory product is released together
with part of the apical cytoplasm of the secretory cell. The
lipid secretion by epithelial cells of the mammary gland
belongs to this mode of secretion.
• Holocrine secretion: the secretory product is released by
disintegration of the entire cell. The secretory cell dies and a
new secretory cell is formed from a nearby basal cells. The
fatty lubricant secretory sebum is released by the cells of
sebaceous glands by holocrine secretion.
Exocrine glands classified by morphology

• Unicellular glands: are composed of only

single cells. The secretory products are
released directly into the surface of an
epithelium. Goblet cells are an example of this
type of gland.
 Multicellular glands
• Consist of numbers of secretory cells arranged in
different organizations.
• It is classified into the following:
(1)Duct shape: simple glands (have single,
unbranched ducts); compound glands (have
branched ducts).
(2)Combination of duct shape and shape of secretory
units: (a) simple tubular glands (the secretory cells
are arranged in straight tubules; found in small and
large intestines.
Simple tubular gland, large intestine
(b)Simple branched tubular glands (their secretory cells
are split into two or more tubules).
(C). Simple coiled tubular glands (have a long duct, and
secretory cells are formed by coiled tubules; sweat
glands are example of this gland).
(d). Simple acinar glands (have a short duct,
unbranched duct; the secretory cells are arranged in
acini form, the mucus-secreting glands in the
submucosa of the penile urethra are example of this
type of gland.
(e). Simple branched acinar glands (have a short,
unbranched duct, and their secretory cells are formed
into branched acini. The sebaceous glands of the skin
(f) Compound acinar glands (have branched ducts and
the secretory units are branched acini. The pancreas
and mammary glands are examples of this gland).
(g) Compound tubuloacinar glands (have branched
ducts, and the secretory units are formed by both an
acinar component and a tubular component. The
submandibular and sublingual glands are good
examples of this type of gland).
Simple branched tubular gland, stomach
Simple coiled tubular gland, sweat gland
Simple acinar gland, littre glands in male
urethra
Simple branched acinar gland, sebaceous
gland
Compound tubular gland, Brunner’s gland
in the Duodenum
Compound acinar gland, pancreas
Compound tubulo-acinar gland,
submandibular gland