EPITHELIAL TISSUE II
1
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lecture, you should
know…
The different types of epithelium
The difference between exocrine and
endocrine glands
The different types of exocrine glands
The different forms of secretion from
exocrine glands
The difference between serous and
mucous glands 2
TYPES OF EPITHELIA
Epithelia can be divided into 2 main
groups
Covering or Lining epithelial
Secretory or Glandular epithelia
This is an arbitrary functional division
for there are lining epithelia in which
all the cells also secrete or in which
glandular cells are distributed among
the lining cells 3
COVERING OR LINING EPITHELIAL
Organized into one or more layers that
cover the external surface or line the
cavities of an organ
As the epithelium is continuously
exposed to potentially damaging
factors, they are capable of continuous
self-renewal
The rate of cell turnover depends on
the type of epithelium
4
They are classified according to the
number of cell layers and cell
morphology
Based on cell layers
Simple epithelia- 1 cell layer
Stratified epithelial- 2 or more cell layer
Based on cell shape
Squamous- thin/flat cells, flat nuclei
Cuboidal- cells with similar width and
thickness/spherical nuclei
Columnar- cells taller than they are
wide/elongated nuclei 5
SIMPLE SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM
One thin cell layer
Functions:
facilitates
movement of
viscera, active
transport, secretion
of molecules
Distribution: lining
blood vessels,
serous lining of
cavities e.g. pleura,
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peritoneum
7
8
SIMPLE CUBOIDAL
One layer of
cuboidal cells
Functions:
covering and
secretion
Distribution:
ovary, thyroid
gland, renal
collecting
tubule, some 9
ducts
10
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SIMPLE COLUMNAR EPITHELIAL
One layer of
columnar cells
Functions:
protection,
lubrication,
absorption,
secretion
Distribution: lining
of stomach,
intestine, gall
bladder, oviduct 12
lining
13
14
STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS NON-KERATINIZED
Relatively sparse
amounts of
keratin
Lines wet cavities
where water loss
is not a problem
Functions:
protection,
secretion
Distribution: oral
cavity, pharynx,
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oesophagus,
larynx, vagina,
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STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS KERATINIZED
Filledwith keratin
intermediate
filaments
Cells become more
irregular in shape
and flatten as they
accumulate keratin
and move closer to
the skin surface
Functions:
protection, prevents
water loss
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Distribution:
epidermis of skin,
19
20
STRATIFIED CUBOIDAL
Relatively rare
Functions:
protection,
secretion
Distribution:
restricted to
excretory ducts
of salivary and
sweat glands and
developing
ovarian follicles 21
22
STRATIFIED COLUMNAR
Relatively rare
Functions:
protection and
mucus secretion
Distribution:
conjunctiva of
the eyelids,
male urethra,
anus
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24
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TRANSITIONAL/ UROTHELIUM
Characterized by a
superficial layer of
large, dome-like cells
Specialized to protect
underlying tissues
from the hypertonic
and potentially
cytotoxic effects of
urine
Allows distension as
the urinary bladder
fills
26
Distribution: urinary
bladder, ureters, renal
27
PSUEDOSTRATIFIED COLUMNAR
Tall irregular cells are
all attached to the
basement
membrane
But their nuclei are
at different levels
giving a stratified
appearance
Functions:
protection, secretion
and cilia-mediated
transport 28
Distribution: lining of
29
SECRETORY EPITHELIAL AND GLANDS
Epithelial cells that function mainly to produce
and secrete various macromolecules may
occur in epithelia with other major functions or
comprise specialized organs called glands
Secretory cells may synthesize, store and
release proteins, lipids or complexes of
carbohydrates and proteins
Some secrete all three substances
The cells of some glands have little synthetic
activity and secrete mostly water and
electrolytes transferred from the blood 30
Scattered secretory cells, sometimes called
unicellular glands are common in simple
cuboidal and columnar and
pseudostratified epithelia
An important, easily seen example is the
goblet cell abundant in the lining of the
small intestine and respiratory tract
Glands develop from covering epithelia in
the foetus by cell proliferation and growth
into the underlying connective tissue
There are two types of glands
Exocrineglands
Endocrine glands
31
Exocrine glands remain connected with the
surface epithelium with the connection
forming the tubular ducts lined with
epithelium
Endocrine glands lose the connection to
their original epithelium and therefore lack
ducts
Thin-walled blood vessels adjacent to the
endocrine cells absorb their secretions for
transport to target cells
The epithelia of exocrine glands are organized
as a continuous system of many small
secretory portions and ducts that transport the
secretion out of the gland 32
In both exocrine and endocrine glands, the
In addition to secretory cells, epithelia of many
exocrine glands contain contractile
myoepithelial cells at the basal ends of the
secretory cells
Bound to the basal lamina by hemidesmosomes,
myoepithelial cells are rich in actin filaments and
myosins
Strong contractions in these cells serve to help
propel secretory products from acini into the
duct system
Endocrine glands lack myoepithelial cells and are
specialized for either protein or steroid synthesis
The proteins are released by exocytosis and the
steroids by diffusion through the cell membrane33
for uptake by binding proteins outside the cell
CLASSIFICATION OF EXOCRINE GLANDS
The structures of their secretory portions and
ducts allow exocrine glands to be classified as
follows
The ducts can be
Simple
unbranched
Compound with two or more branches
The secretory portions can be
Tubular- short or long or coiled
Acinar- rounded and saclike, branched
Compound glands can have branching ducts
and can have multiple tubular, acinar or 34
tubuloacinar secretory portions
Simple tubular
Features
Elongated
secretory
portions
Duct usually
short or absent
Examples
Mucous glands of
colon
Intestinal glands
or crypts
35
Simple
Branched
tubular
Features
Several long
secretory parts
joining to drain
into one duct
Examples
Glands in the
uterus and
stomach
36
Simple Coiled
tubular
Features
Secretory portion
is very long and
coiled
Example
Sweat glands
37
Simple
Acinar/Alveolar
Features
Rounded, saclike
secretory portion
Example
Small mucous
glands along the
urethra
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Simple
Branched acinar
Features
Multiplesaclike
secretory parts
entering the
same duct
Example
Sebaceous
glands of the skin
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Compound
tubular
Features
Several
elongated, coiled
secretory units
and their ducts
converge to form
larger ducts
Example
Submucosal
mucous glands in 40
the duodenum
Compound
acinar/alveolar
Features
Several saclike
secretory units
with small ducts
converge at a
larger duct
Examples
Exocrine pancreas
41
Compound
tubulo acinar
Features
Ducts of both
tubular and
acinar secretory
units converge at
larger ducts
Example
Salivary glands
42
TYPES OF SECRETION FROM
GLANDS
Three basic mechanisms for releasing the
product are commonly used by cells
specialized for secretion
Cells engaged in each type of secretion
can be distinguished histologically into
Merocine secretion
Holocrine secretion
Apocrine secretion
43
MEROCRINE SECRETION
The most common method of
protein or glycoprotein secretion
Involves typical exocytosis from
membrane-bound vesicles or
secretory granules
44
HOLOCRINE SECRETION
Cells accumulate product
continuously as they enlarge and
undergo terminal differentiation,
culminating in complete cell
disruption which releases the product
and cell debris into the gland’s lumen
This is best seen in the sebaceous
glands producing lipid-rich material in
skin 45
APOCRINE SECRETION
Here, the product accumulates at the
cells’ apical ends, portion of which
are then extruded to release the
product together with small amounts
of cytoplasm and cell membrane
Lipid droplets are secreted in the
mammary gland in this manner
46
Exocrineglands with merocrine secretion
can be further categorized into two
according to the nature of their secretory
products, which give distinct staining
properties to the cells
Serousglands
Mucous glands
Serous cells are filled apically with
secretory granules in different stages of
maturation
Serous cells synthesize proteins that are
mostly not glycosylated, such as
digestive enzymes 47
Serous cells stain intensely with basophilic
Mucous cells, such as goblet cells are filled
apically with secretory granules, but these
contain heavily glycosylated proteins called
mucins
The hydrophilic mucins are usually washed
from cells during routine histological
preparations, causing the secretory granules
to stain poorly with eosin
Sufficient oligosaccharides remain in
developing mucinogen granules, however, to
allow mucous cells to be stained by the PAS
method
However, some salivary glands are mixed
48
seromucous glands, having both serous acini
and mucous tubules with clustered serous
ASSESSMENT TEST
1. Mention the different types of epithelial
2. Which type of epithelium is found in
places prone to friction
3. Which epithelia are relatively rare
4. What is the difference between exocrine
and endocrine glands
5. Mention 5 types of exocrine glands
6. Which type of secretion does the cell
disintegrate while releasing its product
7. What is the difference between serous
and mucous glands 49
