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Pseudostratified columnar epithelium is a type of epithelium that appears to be stratified but instead consists of a single layer of irregularly shaped and differently sized columnar cells. In pseudostratified epithelium, nuclei of neighboring cells appear at different levels rather than clustered near the lower end. The arrangement gives the appearance of stratification; but in fact all the cells are in contact with the basement membrane, although some do not reach the top surface. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium is found in the respiratory tract, where these cells have cilia.

Both simple and pseudostratified columnar epithelia often have goblet cells between the epithelial cells. A goblet cell    is a mucous-secreting unicellular “gland” found between the columnar epithelial cells of mucous membranes. This is the only type of gland that is made from a single cell. ( [link] ).

Goblet cell

This illustration shows a diagram of a goblet cell. The goblet cell is shaped roughly like an upside down vase. The enlarged end at the top contains six finger like projections labeled microvilli. Between the microvilli, secretary vesicles containing mucin are moving from the upper half of the cell toward the microvilli. Below the secretory vesicles are several rough endoplasmic reticula and an irregularly shaped Golgi apparatus with secretory vesicles budding off of it. The narrow, lower half of the cell contains the oval-shaped nucleus as well as a few mitochondria and segments of the endoplasmic reticulum. The second image is a micrograph of the innermost lining of the small intestine. This innermost lining is a simple columnar epithelium, with a single layer of rectangular cells oriented in a line. Occasionally, the line of epithelial cells is interrupted by a goblet cell. Goblet cells are thinner than the epithelial cells and appear roughly pill shaped. In this micrograph, the cells did not stain as darkly as the epithelial cells.
(a) In the lining of the small intestine, columnar epithelium cells are interspersed with goblet cells. (b) The arrows in this micrograph point to the mucous-secreting goblet cells. LM × 1600. (Micrograph provided by the Regents of University of Michigan Medical School © 2012)

View the University of Michigan WebScope at (External Link) to explore the tissue sample in greater detail.

Stratified epithelium

A stratified epithelium consists of several stacked layers of cells. This epithelium protects against physical and chemical wear and tear. The stratified epithelium is named by the shape of the top layer of cells, closest to the free space. Stratified squamous epithelium is the most common type of stratified epithelium in the human body. The top cells are squamous, whereas the bottom layers contain either columnar or cuboidal cells. The top layer may be covered with dead cells filled with keratin. Your skin is an example of this dry, keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium. The lining of the mouth cavity is an example of an unkeratinized, stratified squamous epithelium. Stratified cuboidal epithelium and stratified columnar epithelium    can also be found in certain glands and ducts, but are uncommon in the human body.

Another kind of stratified epithelium is transitional epithelium    , so-called because of the gradual changes in the shapes of the cells as the bladder fills with urine. It is found only in the urinary system, specifically the ureters and urinary bladder. When the bladder is empty, this epithelium is relaxed and has cuboidal shaped cells. As the bladder fills with urine, this epithelium stretches and the cells transition from cuboidal to squamous. It appears thicker and more multi-layered when the bladder is empty, and more stretched out and less stratified when the bladder is full and distended. [link] summarizes the different categories of epithelial cell tissue cells.

Summary of epithelial tissue cells

This figure is a table with three columns and eight rows. The leftmost column is titled cells, and contains a drawing in each row showing how epithelial cells are arranged above a basement membrane. The middle column is titled location, while the rightmost column is titled function. In a simple squamous epithelium, the cells are flattened and single-layered. Simple squamous cells are found in the air sacs of the lungs, in the lining of the heart, blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Their function is to allow materials to pass through by diffusion and filtration, as well as to secrete lubricating substances. In a simple cuboidal epithelium, the cells are cube shaped and single layered and located in ducts and secretory portions of small glands as well as in the kidney tubules. The function of simple cuboidal epithelium is to secrete and absorb. In a simple columnar epithelium, the cells are rectangular and are attached to the basement membrane on one of their narrow sides, so that each cell is standing up like a column. There is only one layer of cells. Simple columnar epithelium is found in ciliated tissues including the bronchi, uterine tubes, and uterus, as well as in smooth, nonciliated tissues such as the digestive tract bladder. The function of simple columnar epithelium is to absorb substances but also to secrete mucous and enzymes. In a pseudostratified columnar epithelium, the cells are column-like in appearance, but they vary in height. The taller cells bend over the tops of the shorter cells so that the top of the epithelial tissue is continuous. There is only one layer of cells. Pseudostratified columnar epithelium lines the trachea and much of the upper respiratory tract. The function of pseudostratified columnar epithelium is to secrete mucous and also move that mucus using the hair like cilia projecting from the top of each cell. A stratified squamous epithelium contains many layers of flattened cells. Stratified squamous epithelium lines the esophagus, mouth, and vagina. The function of stratified squamous epithelium is to protect against abrasion. Stratified cuboidal epithelium contains many layers of cube-shaped cells. Stratified cuboidal epithelium is found in the sweat glands, salivary glands, and mammary glands. The function of stratified cuboidal epithelium is to protect other tissues of the body. Stratified columnar epithelium contains many layers of rectangular, column-shaped cells. Stratified columnar epithelium is located in the male urethra and the ducts of some glands. The function of stratified columnar epithelium is to secrete and protect. Transitional epithelium consists of many layers of irregularly shaped cells with diverse sizes. Transitional epithelium is found lining the bladder, urethra and ureters. The function of transitional epithelium is to allow the urinary organs to expand and stretch.

Watch this video to find out more about the anatomy of epithelial tissues. Where in the body would one find non-keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium?

Glandular epithelium

A gland is a structure made up of one or more cells modified to create and secrete chemical substances. Most glands consist of groups of epithelial cells. A gland can be classified as an endocrine gland    , a ductless gland that releases secretions directly into surrounding tissues and fluids (endo- = “inside”), or an exocrine gland    whose secretions leave through a duct that opens directly, or indirectly, to the external environment (exo- = “outside”).

Endocrine glands

The secretions of endocrine glands are called hormones. Hormones are released into the fluid around the cell, which then enter the bloodstream. The bloodstream delivers hormone to target organs throughout the body. The endocrine system is part of a major regulatory system coordinating the regulation and integration of body responses. A few examples of endocrine glands include the anterior pituitary, thymus, adrenal cortex, and gonads (ovaries and testicles).

Exocrine glands

Exocrine glands release their contents through a duct A(tube)that leads to the epithelial surface. Mucous, sweat, saliva, and breast milk are all examples of secretions from exocrine glands. They are all discharged through tubular ducts.

Glandular structure

Exocrine glands are classified as either unicellular or multicellular. The unicellular glands are scattered single cells, such as goblet cells, found in the mucous membranes of the small and large intestine.

The multicellular exocrine glands known as serous glands develop from simple epithelium to form a secretory surface that secretes directly into an inner cavity. These glands line the internal cavities of the abdomen and chest and release their secretions directly into the cavities. Other multicellular exocrine glands release their contents through a tubular duct. The duct is single in a simple gland but in compound glands is divided into one or more branches ( [link] ). In tubular glands, the ducts can be straight or coiled, whereas tubes that form pockets are alveolar (acinar), such as the exocrine portion of the pancreas. Combinations of tubes and pockets are known as tubuloalveolar (tubuloacinar) compound glands. In a branched gland, a duct is connected to more than one secretory group of cells.

Types of exocrine glands

This table shows the different types of exocrine glands: alveolar (acinar) versus tubular and those with simple ducts versus compound ducts. Each diagram shows a single layer of columnar epithelial cells with a line of cells travelling along the surface of a tissue (surface epithelium) and then dipping into a hole in the tissue. The cells travel down the right side of the hole until they reach the bottom, then curve around the bottom of the hole and then travel up the left side. Finally, the cells emerge back onto the surface of the tissue. The surface epithelial cells are those that are on the surface of the tissue; the duct cells are those that line both walls of the hole. The gland cells are those that line the bottom of the hole. The shape of the hole differs in each gland. In the simple alvelolar (acinar) gland, the duct and gland cells are bulb shaped with the gland cells being the larger end of the bulb. Simple alveolar glands are not found in adults, as these represent an early developmental stage of simple, branched glands. In simple tubular glands, the duct and gland cells are U shaped. Simple tubular glands are found in the intestinal glands. In simple branched alveolar glands, the gland cells form three bulbs at the end of the duct, similar in appearance to a clover leaf. The sebaceous (oil) glands are examples of simple branched alveolar glands. In simple coiled tubular glands, the duct and gland cells form a U, however, the bottom of the U, which is all gland cells, is curved up to the right. Merocrine sweat glands are examples of simple coiled tubular glands. In simple branched tubular glands, the duct is very short and the gland cells divide into three lobes, similar in appearance to a bird’s foot. The gastric glands of the stomach and mucous glands of the esophagus, tongue and duodenum are examples of simple branched tubular glands. Among the glands with compound ducts, compound alveolar (acinar) glands have three sets of clover leaf bulbs, for a total of six bulbs. Two of the clover leaf shaped structures extend parallel to the surface epithelium in opposite directions to each other. The third clover leaf extends down into the tissue, perpendicular to the surface. The duct is cross-shaped. The mammary glands are an example of compound alveolar glands. Compound tubular glands have a similar structure to compound alveolar glands. However, instead of three cloverleaf shaped bulbs, the compound tubular gland has three bird’s foot shaped bulbs. The duct is also cross-shaped in the compound tubular gland. The mucous glands of the mouth and the bulbourethral glands of the male reproductive system are examples of compound tubular glands, which are also found in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Compound tubuloalveolar glands are a hybrid between the compound alveolar gland and the compound tubular gland. The two sets of bulbs that run parallel to the surface are bird-foot shaped; however, the set of bulbs that runs perpendicularly below the surface is cloverleaf shaped. The salivary glands, glands of the respiratory passages and glands of the pancreas are all compound tubuloalveolar glands.
Exocrine glands are classified by their structure.

Chapter review

In epithelial tissue, cells are closely packed with little or no extracellular matrix except for the basement membrane that separates the epithelium from underlying tissue. The main functions of epithelia are protection from the environment, coverage, secretion and excretion, absorption, and filtration. Cells are bound together by tight junctions that form an impermeable barrier. They can also be connected by gap junctions, which allow free exchange of soluble molecules between cells. The different types of epithelial tissues are characterized by their cellular shapes and arrangements: squamous, cuboidal, or columnar epithelia. Single cell layers form simple epithelia, whereas stacked cells form stratified epithelia. Very few capillaries penetrate these tissues.

Glands are secretory tissues and organs that are derived from epithelial tissues. Exocrine glands release their products through ducts. Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into the interstitial fluid and blood stream. Glands are classified both according to the type of secretion and by their structure.

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Source:  OpenStax, Histology. OpenStax CNX. Feb 27, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11764/1.1
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