Epithelial Tissue (Chapter 2)

Intercellular substance (extracellular matrix)

- Binds cell that have similar or closely related function to form a larger structure
and functional units called Tissues

4 Basic tissues in the body

Epithelial Tissue
Connective Tissue
Muscle Tissue
Nervous Tissue

Epithelial Tissue or Epithelium (Epithelia Plural)

- Highly cellularity
- Made up of cells that are closely packed together with minimal intervening
intercellular substance.
- It is also avascular no blood vessel are present between cells.
- Exhibits polarity

3 embryonic germ layers

1.) Ectoderm - cover the external surface of the body (skin, appendages, and
cornea of the eyes).

2.) Endoderm Those that form part of the digestive tract (except mouth and anus)
liver,
gallbladder, pancreas, respiratory tract, urinary bladder and urethra.
3.) Mesoderm The epithelia that present in the heart, blood lymphatic vessels,
serous cavities, urinary system (except urinary bladder and urethra), male and
female reproductive system.

Basal Surface
 deepest layer of any epithelium rest on a thin sheet of amorphous extracellular
material called Basal Lamina.

Basal Lamina
Mixture of glycoproteins, collagen and proteoglycans.
- About 20 100 nm thick
- Consist of three layers two electron lucent layer that sandwich an electron
dense one.
- Provide structural support to the overlying epithelium
- Impermeable barrier that allows only water and small molecules to pass
through.
- Completely envelope individual muscle cells, fat cells, schwann cells and cells
of adrenal medulla.

Electron Lucent layer

- Basal surfaces of the epithelial cell rest is the Lamina rara externa.
Lamina rara externa
- Largely made up of glycoproteins including lamina and proteoglycans.
Lamina Densa
- Electron-dense layer
- Contains fine filaments consisting of Collagen type VII, fibronectin,
thrombospondin and proteoglycans.
Lamina Fibroreticularis
- Layer of extracellular material that contain collagen and reticular fivers and
fibronectin and is sandwich between the basal lamina and the underlying tissue.
- 200 to 500 nm thick.
- Absent in some epithelial tissue (glomeruli of the kidney and lens of the eye).
- Product of connective tissue cells (fibroblast and not epithelial cells).

*The basal lamina and the lamina fibroreticularis are collectively referred to as
basement membrane.
Epithelial Tissues in the body can be categorize into two groups
1.) Surface Epithelium
- Cover the external surface (covering epithelium) such as the skin, and lies the
internal surfaces (Lining Epithelium) such as luminal surface of visceral organ
and ducts of glands of the body.
2.) Glandular Epithelium
- Refers to epithelial tissue whose cells are specialized to elaborate, and release
macromolecules.

*Epithelial cell in the testes are the sources of germ cells.

Surface of epithelia are classified into;

Simple - Single layer cell

Stratified more than one layer of cells

Squamous If the cells that compromise a simple epithelium are flattened.

Cuboidal- Equally tall as wide
Columnar - Taller that they are wide

Simple Squamous Epithelium

- A single layer of flattened cells
- Irregular polygonal outlines
- Lines the lung alveoli, parietal layer, bowmans capsule (kidney)
Mesothelium The simple squamous epithelium that lines the serous cavities.
Endothelium lines the luminal surface of the heart, blood and lymphatic
vessels.

Simple Coboidal Epitheliu

- Consist of single layer of cells whose height approximates their width.
 - Present in the duct, salivary gland, pancreas, collecting tubules (kidney), follicles
(thyroid gland), and surface of the ovary.

Simple Columnar Epithelium

- Single layer of tall cells form, more or less, a single row.
- Generally oval, more basal than apical in location.
- Lines the stomach, intestine, and large ducts (exocrine glands)
Ciliated simple columnar epithelium lines the uterus and oviducts.

Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium

- Variant of simple columnarepithelium
-
- Means false stratified epithelium
- Single layer of tall or columnar cells
- Lines the membranous and spongy part of the male urethra.
Ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium or simply respiratory
epithelium, lines the respiratory system (trachea, and bronchi).

Stratified epithelia in the body are classified on the basis of shape of the cells;
1.) Stratified Squamous
- Most superficial layer are flattened.
- New cells are formed only in the deep layer. The superficial cells are old cells.
Keratinized stratified squamous
- stratified squamous epithelium are dry and most superficial layer are dead cells.
- Form outer histologic layer of the skin (epidermis)
Nonkeratinized
- Stratified squamous epithelium is wet
- Lines the oral cavity, esophagus, vagina, and most superficial layer of the cornea
of the eye.

2.) Stratified Cuboidal

- Their height approximate their width.
- Consist of two to three layers of cuboidal cells.
- Lines the major salivary glands

3.) Stratidied Columnar

- Taller than they are wide.
- At least two layers of columnar cells

4.) Transitional Epithelium

- Manifest features that are between stratified squamous and stratified cuboidal
epithelia
- Lines the urinary passages
- Withstand stretching.
*In the contracted state of the urinary bladder and urinary passages, the basal cells
of the epithelium are cuboidal while the superficial cells (umbrella cells) bulge ut
into the lumen giving the cell a dome shaped profile.

Special structure on the apical surface of epithelial cells

1.) Microvilli (Singular: Microvillus)
- 1.0nm long and 0.08 nm in diameter
- Many epithelial cells have short and fine finger-like extensions or processes of
the plasma membrane.
- Their function is to increase the surface area.
- They are particularly numerous Small Intestine
Striated border or brush fuzzy, fine vertical line on the surface of the
epithelium.

2.) Cilia or kinocilia (Singular: Cilium;kinocilium)

- Specialized for transport of fluid or mucus over the surface of the epithelium or
helpful in propelling substances over the surface of the epithelium.
- 7 to 10 nm in length and 0.2 nm in thickness, they are much longer than
microvilli.
- Consist of microtubules that run parallel to its long axis.
Axonema - pair of centrally located microtubules that is surrounded by nine pairs
(doublets) of microtubules.

3.) Flagella (Singular: Flagellum)

- Simply long cilia.
- In humans only one cell type possesses a flagellum, the Spermatozoon.
Spermatozoon only has one flagellum or tail.
- 50nm long and its main function is to propel the cell along the female genital
tract.
- Grows out of centriole.
 4.) Stereocilia
- Simply microvilli that are as long as cilia, they are not motile and their core
consist of actin filaments.
- Helps to convey sperm cells from the testes to the external environment and
they are also present on the hair cells of the inner ear where they play a role in
auditory and vestibular perception.

4 types of specialize intercellular junctions

Zonula Occludens, zonula adherens, desmosome, and gap junction. The
four special type of junctional complexes are all present and are well developed
in simple cuboidal and simple columnar epithelia.

* Zonula occludens, zonula adherens and desmosome are design to keep adjacent
cells in a surface epithelium glued together thus ensuring that substances can enter or
leave the underlying tissue.
* Gap junction enable adjacent cell to communicate with each other.
* zonula occludens and zonula adherens are collectively referred to as juxtaluminal
junctional complex or terminal bar
* Desmosome the only junctional complex that exists between cells. (Epidermis)

Zonula Occludens
- Is the most apically situated of the junctional complexes and located on the
surface of each epithelial cell immediately below free surface of the cell.
- 0.1 to 0.3 nm thick

Zonula Adherens
- Typically located just below the zonula occludens.
- Form band that completely encircles each epithelial cell
Terminal web layer of microfilaments (actin filaments) and intermediate
(keratin) filaments that form network across the cell just below its apical surface.
Microvilli supportive or cytoskeletal function.
Desmosomes
- They do not form a band around the epithelial cell; they form botton like or rivet-
like adhessions that are arranged in a line around the cell.
- Concist of an ovoid protein disc or plaque that is split into halves.
- Contain numerous transverse filaments and adhesion protein that bind the
apposed cell membrane to each other.
- Numerous in the skin

Gap junction
- Enables adjacent cells to exchange ions and small molecules because at the gap
junction
Connexons tiny tubes

Hemisdesmosome structury identified to half a demosome.

Basal foldings of the plasmalemma increase the absorbing capacity of a cell.

Glandular epithelium
- Organized to form the functional component or secretory unit/s of structures
called Glands that produces substances (secretion).
- Categorized into two group;
1.) Exocrine Gland
Deliver their secretion in the surface of epithelium by ducts (tubular
passageway)
Can be classified with the number of cells that compromise them into unicellular
or multicellular.
Distinct organs such as Major salivary glands, pancreas and liver

2.) Endocrine Gland

Deliver their secretion into the blood or lymph.
Ductless

Hormones
- Secretion that endocrine glands elaborate
- Chemical substance that vary by blood to organ or tissues that have cell (target
cell) which contain receptors for it.
 - It acts as a chemical messenger that enables an endocrine gland to exert its
influence on its target cells, tissue, and organs.

Unicellular gland

- Composed of a single cell.

- Simplest type of gland and is exemplified by the goblet cell (mucous cell).
Goblet cell cell type constitute the surface and glandular epithelium of many
segments of the digestive and respiratory tract.
Theca apical portion that expanded to accommodate numerous membrane-
bound secretory vesicle that contain mucin
Mucin glycoprotein which when mixed with water forms mucus

Multicellular Gland
- Three categories of multicellular
1.) Secretory Epithelial sheet
Refers to the surface of the epithelium, where most of the cells are Secretory
Example of secretory epithelial sheet is the ependymal (Simple cuboidal
epithelium that lines the choroid plexuses in the brain that produces CFS).

2.) Intraepithelial gland

A group of secretory cells in a surface epithelium that gather together around a
small orifice.
Intraepithelial that exist in the epithelium that lines the Penile urethra

3.) Glands with ducts

Exocrine glands with ducts
- Consist of glands that possess true ducts (most complex of exocrine glands).
- Arise as invagination of surface epithelia. Retain their tubular connection (ducts).
- Classified and sub classified according to a.) Complexity of their ducts and b.)
morphology of their secretory unit.

Endocrine Glands they lose their ducts

Simple gland single branch

Compound Gland has branches, it referred to as compound gland.
* The secretory units if exocrine glands are in the form of either blind-eating tubes
(secretory tubules) or globular basket-like structure tubular gland.

Alveolar or acinous gland

- Its secretory unit are in the form of acini or alveoli.
Tubuloalveolar gland (tubuloacinous gland)
- If some of the secretory portions are tubular and some are globular
- Further classified into branches or coiled.

Exocrine glands are classified into two types according to the nature of their secretion
1.) Mucous
Produce a viscous secretion that contain mucin
Mucin - a substance rich in glycoprotein
Mucus protects and lubricate covering epithelia.

2.) Serous
produce a thin, watery secretion that often contain enzyme

Mucous alveoli (acini)

secretory units of exocrine glands that consist entirely of mucous cells

Serous alveoli (acini)

Consist exclusively serous cell

Mixed alveoli
Contain both mucous and serous cells

Serous gland
Whose secretory units consist exclusively of serous alveoli

Mucous glands
Secretory units consist exclusively mucous alveoli

Mixed gland
 Contain serous and mucous and/or mixed alveoli.

Exocrine gland
- Classified into three a.) merocrine; b.) halocrine and 3.) apocrine.
Merocrine Glands
- Secretory cells release their secretion by exocytosis
- Examples are the major salivary glands and exocrine portion of the
pancreas.
Holocrine gland
- Release of secretion entails destruction of thesecretory cells
Myoepithelial cell
- In the secretory units, small ducts of many exocrine glands, there are flattened,
stellate cells that are present between the epithelial cells and the basal lamina
- Present in the sweat glands, mammary glands, lacrimal glands and the major
salivary glands.