EPITHELIAL TISSUE

COVERING EPITHELIUM

Lecturer Nilsu TALAŞ

What is tissue?
Tissue is a group of cells that have similar structure and that
function together as a unit.
Types of Tissue
There are four main types of tissue;
• Epithelial Tissue (Covering and Secretory
Epithelium) : They are cellular layers that line the
cavities of organs and cover the body surface.
• Connective tissue and specialized connective
tissues (cartilage, bone, blood, lymphatic and
adipose tissue)
• Muscle tissue (Striated, smooth, cardiac muscle)
• Nervous tissue
 TISSUE

CELL INTERCELLULAR SUBSTANCE

Amorphous matter Fibrous matter

Reason of tissue differences:

Cellular and intercellular matrix differences
Cell density is high in epithelial tissue
Intercellular substance density is high in connective tissue
Features of Epithelial Tissue
 Epithelium covers the body surface, lines body cavities and forms
glands.

 It does not contain vessels (Avascular).

 It functions as a selective barrier that prevents or facilitates the

passage of specific substances between the external environment
and the underlying connective tissue.

 It forms the secretory parts (parenchyma) and ducts of the glands.

 Functions of Epithelial Tissue:

• Protection from external factors (Barrier); Surrounding and

covering surfaces (skin, interior organ surface epithelium)
• Absorbation; Conveying material taken from outside to the internal
environment of the organism through absorption (intestine).
• Secretion; skin glands & other glands, mucus, hormones and some
enzymes
• Transportation; transport of molecules across the epithelium
• Selective permeability; intercellular junction units
• Getting stimulation; taste buds, olfactory epithelium, retina of the
eye
• Contraction; myoepithelial cells of the glands
 Characteristic features of epithelial cells:
1. Epithelial cells are located very close to each other and hold on to each other with
specialized cell junctions.

1. Epithelial cells show functional and morphological polarization. The region of the cell
that comes into contact with the connective tissue is called the basal region, and the
opposite end facing the lumen part is the apical region. The regions of cells adjacent to
neighboring cells are called lateral regions.

2. A basement membrane layer is present on the basal surfaces of all epithelial cells that
are in contact with the underlying connective tissue. In other words, cells sit on the
basement membrane.
 SPECIALIZATIONS OF BASAL REGION

Basement Membrane:It is located between the basal regions

of epithelial cells and the underlying connective tissue.

Cell-extracellular matrix junctions: They are connections that

anchor the cell to the extracellular matrix.
 Focal adhesions
 Hemidesmosomes

 Basal cell membrane infolds: They increase surface area of cell.

 Basament Membrane
 It is the supporting, dense amorphous layer that separates the
epithelium from the connective tissue.
 Epithelial cells sit on a basement membrane.
 Basement membrane consists of two parts which are Basal
lamina (lamina lucida and lamina densa) and Reticular lamina.

Lamina lusida

Lamina densa Basement

membrane
Retiküler lamina
Basal Lamina:
 Lamina lusida: It is 40 nm thick, less dense and located close to the
cell membrane.
 Lamina densa:It is 40-60 nm thick, more dense and contains type
IV collagen, laminins, thin filaments, proteoglycans, glycoproteins.

Reticular Lamina:
Contains reticular fibrils (type III collagen), type VII collagen,
fibrillin.
Basement Membrane Components

 Collagen molecules
Type IV ( %50)
Type VII
Type XV
Type XVIII
 Laminins
 Entactin/Nidogen (glycoprotein)
 Proteoglycans
Perlecan Agrin
How basement membrane is distinguished?
 With the aid of PAS technique, the basement membrane becomes
visible under the light microscope as a result of the reaction with
aldehyde groups released from carbohydrates in glycoprotein and
proteoglycan molecules.
 Functions of Basement Membrane
I. Structural adhesion

II. Formation of compartment: Separates connective tissue from

epithelium, nerve and muscle tissue.

III. Filtration: Regulates the movement of substances from and into the
connective tissue.

IV. Skeleton of tissue: Newly formed cells and growing cell extensions use
the basement membrane remaining after cell loss.

V. Regulation and signaling: Many molecules found in the basement

membrane affect the epithelium by interacting with cell surface
receptors.
 Cell-Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Junctions
I. Focal adhesions:It anchors the actin filaments of the cytoskeleton to the
basement membrane.
II. Hemidesmosomes: It anchors the intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton
to the basement membrane.
 Hemidesmosomes

It is found in the cornea, skin, mucosa of the oral

cavity, esophagus and vagina.

They are located on the basal surface of the

epithelial cell and provide increased adhesion to
the basement membrane.

On the cytoplasmic side of the basement plasma

membrane, the intracellular attachment plate
anchors the intermediate filaments.

They resemble desmosomes.

Intercellular Adhesion and Other Junctions
• Many membrane-associated structures provide adhesion and communication
between cells.
• Epithelial cells adhere strongly to neighboring cells and basal laminae, especially in
epithelium subjected to friction or other mechanical forces.
• The lateral surfaces of epithelial cells exhibit several specialized intercellular
junctions that serve different functions:

1) Tight or Occluding Junctions (zonulae occludens)

2) Adherent or Anchoring Junctions

[Link] adherens
[Link] adherens (Desmosome)

3) Gap Junctions
1. Tight Junctions (Zonulae Occludens)
 It is located in the uppermost parts of the lateral surfaces

of epithelial cells.

 Tight junctions are the most apical of the junctions.

 In the zonula occludens, the outer leaves of the opposing

unit membranes are fused to each other at many points.

 With this fusion, there is no space between the cells.

(intercellular space is completely eliminated)

 Tight junctions prevent the migration between apical and

lateral surfaces of lipids and specialized membrane

proteins.

 The cytoskeleton is associated with the actin filament.

 2. Adherent Junctions
Zonula Adherens
Macula Adherens

There are two types of adherent junctions on the lateral sides of the
cells:

I. Zonula adherens: It interacts with the actin filament

network.
II. Macula adherens (Desmosome):It interacts with the
intermediate filament network.
 Zonula Adherens
 They are located under the tight junctions (zonula occludens). They adhere the cells to each other by
wrapping them in the form of belts.

 They provide lateral connections between epithelial cells.

 They appear as a continuous belt-like structure around the cells.

 Cell adhesion here is mediated by cadherins that interact in the presence of Ca2+.

 E-cadherin binds catenin at its cytoplasmic ends, and this complex binds to vinculin and α-actin. This
binding is necessary for cadherin to interact with the actin filament.
 Fascia Adherens

It structurally acts as a zonula

adherens between cardiac
muscle cells.

Instead of surrounding the cell

all around, it is active in a limited
area in the form of a patch.
 Macula Adherens (Desmosomes)
 Macula adherens is a connection type that covers a
narrow point-shaped area located under the zonula
adherens.

 In each desmosome, there are structures called

junction plates under the cell membrane. Cytoplasm
filaments, consisting of intermediate filaments, end in
these plates or enter here and make a turn and return
to the cytoplasm.

 It provides fixation sites for intermediate filaments.

 Half desmosomes (hemidesmosomes) may be located

on the lower surfaces of epithelial cells where they sit
on the connective tissue.
 Transmembrane linkers that connect membranes in the intercellular distance
in the area where desmosomes are located are desmoglein and desmocolin
glycoproteins from the cadherin family.

 Desmoplakin and plakoglobin proteins bind intermediate filaments in the

cytoplasm.
[Link] Junctions

Gap junctions mediate communication between

cells rather than adhesion or binding.

They are found in epithelium, nerves, smooth

muscle and cardiac muscle.

Ions, molecules and small metabolites are

exchanged through pores.

Gap junction proteins consist of 12 subunits of the

connexin protein family, and connexins form a
complex called connexon.
Each connexon consists of connexin,
which consists of 6 symmetrical
subunits.

Connexin pairs with a similar structure

in the neighboring cell, the entire
channel being 12 subunits.

Connexins exhibit conformational

changes that lead to the opening and
closing of communication junction
channels.
Tight Junction

Desmosome
(Macula adherens)

Gap Junction
 Specializations of the Apical Cell Surface
• The apical ends of many epithelial cells face the lumen of an organ and often have
specialized cytoplasmic projections.
• These structures function to either increase the apical surface area for absorption or to move
substances across the epithelial surface.

Cilia Microvilli Stereocilia

Cytoplasmic Cytoplasmic Long immotile
projections projections microvilli
composed of Actin
including
actin filaments
microtubule and central part.
bundles
 Cilia

 They are common cell surface modifications.

 They are 5-10 µm in diameter.

 Each cilium has a structure consisting of 9

peripheral microtubule pairs.

 The 9+2 junction of microtubules is called

axoneme.

 Axonemes are continuous with basal bodies,

which are apical cytoplasmic structures just
beneath the cell membrane.

 The basal body has a structure similar to the

differentiated centriole.
 Microvilli
 They are finger-like cytoplasmic projections.

 They are 1 µm in diameter.

 Each microvilli contains numerous actin filaments.

 The number and shape of microvilli is proportional to

the absorption capacity of the cell.

 They increase the absorption surface of the cell.

 They are found in large numbers and in elongated

form in cells involved in fluid transport and
metabolite absorption.

 In cells where transport is less active, they are small

and irregularly shaped.
-Microvilli structure in the absorptive cells of the
intestine is observed as striated border,and as a
brush-like border in the tubules of kidney.

intestine- striated border

Microvilli forming brush borders in kidney tubules:
Microvilli forming brush borders in kidney tubules:
 Stereocilia
 It is limited to the epididymis epithelial cells and
the proximal part of the ductus deferens in the
male reproductive system.

 They are similar to microvilli in that they contain

actin filaments and various actin-binding protein
sequences.

 Stereocilia are much longer and much less mobile

than microvilli.

 Stereocilia develop from microvilli by lateral actin

addition and elongation to the actin bundle. Pseudostratified stereociliated
epithelium, Ductus Epididymis
Stereocilia
TYPES OF EPITHELIA
Epithelial tissue is divided into two main groups according
to their functions:

Epithelial Types according to

function

Covering (Lining) Secretory (Glandular)

Epithelia Epithelia
 COVERING (LINING) EPITHELIA
• The cells of the covering epithelium are arranged in one or more layers that
cover the outer surface of an organ or line its cavities.

• Covering epithelium is classified according to the number of cell layers and the
cell shape in the surface layer.
Classification of Covering Epithelia

According to cell layer number

Simple Epithelia Stratified Epithelia

Contain one cell layer Contain two or more cell layers

Classification of Covering Epithelia

According to cell shape

Squamous Columnar Cuboidal

They are thin cells. The cells are longer than they The length and width of the
are wide. cells are almost the same.
Classification of Covering Epithelia
• Covering epithelium; may exhibit different properties
depending on the different structures on the apical surface
and can be classified according to this feature.

According to different properties of apical

surface

Cilia Microvilli Keratin

Properties of surface, number of cell layer and morphology of apical cell determine
TYPE OF EPITHELIUM !

Properties Number of Morphology

of surface + cell layer + of apical cell = TYPE OF EPITHELIUM

 Keratinized  Simple  Squamous

 Non-Keratinized  Stratified  Columnar
 Ciliated  Pseudostratified  Cuboidal
 Stereociliated  Transitional
 Microvilli
 Types of Covering Epithelia
• Simple Squamous Epithelium
• Simple Columnar Epithelium
• Simple Cuboidal Epithelium
• Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium
• Pseudostratified Columnar cilliated Epithelium
• Pseudostratified Columnar Stereocilliated
Epithelium
• Stratified Squamous Epithelium
(Keratinized/non-keratinized)
• Stratified Columnar Epithelium
• Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium
• Transitional Epithelium
 Covering Epithelium
Simple Squamous Epithelium

Simple Epithelium Simple Cuboidal Epithelium Simple

Simple Columnar Epithelium With Microvilli
With Kinocilia
Pseudostratified Epithelium With
Kinocilia

With Sterocilia
Simple
Non-keratinized
Stratified Epithelium Stratified Squamous
Epithelium
Keratinized

Transitional Epithelium Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium

Stratified Columnar Epithelium
 Simple Squamous Epithelium
It consists of a single layer of cells and the cells on the surface are squamous!

Locations :
• The single-layered squamous epithelium that lines the inner
surface of the vessels and heart is called endothelium.
• The single-layered squamous epithelium lining the body cavities is
called mesothelium.
• Parietal leaflet of Bowman's capsule of the kidney
• Alveoli
Functions:
• It facilitates the movement of internal organs. (mesothelium)
• It facilitates active transport (mesothelium and endothelium) by
pinocytosis.
• It facilitates the secretion of active molecules. (mesothelium)
• Bowman's Capsule of the kidney is surrounded by a simple
squamous epithelium.
• The alveoli in the lung are surrounded by a simple squamous
epithelium.
 Simple Cuboidal Epithelium
It consists of a single layer of cells and the cells on the surface are cuboidal!
Location:
• Proximal and distal tubules of the kidney
• Salivary glands
• Small ducts of the pancreas
• Thyroid follicles
Function:
• Secretes mucus, sweat, enzymes and other substances
• Provides absorption of liquids and some substances
• Distal and proximal tubules of kidney are surrounded by a
simple cuboidal epithelium.

Simple cuboidal
epithelium
 Simple Columnar Epithelium
It consists of a single layer of cells and the cells on the surface are columnar!
Locations:
• On the surface facing the lumen of the stomach and gallbladder (Simple columnar
epithelium)
• On the intestinal surface (Simple columnar epithelium with microvilli)
• Uterus, fallopian tubes (Simple columnar epithelium with kinocilia)
Functions:
• Protection
• Absorption
• Secretion
Examples of Simple Columnar Epithelium
Gallbladder

Simple Columnar
Epithelium

Simple
Intestine
Stomach and
Gallbladder

With microvilli
Intestine

Fallopian tubes

With kinocilia
Fallopian
tubes
 Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium
It is a type of epithelium that appears to be multilayered but is
actually single-layered.
• The cells appear to form several layers and reach the basement membrane.
• However, since epithelial cells have different shapes and heights, not all of them reach
the surface.
• For this reason, this type of epithelium is called pseudostratified columnar epithelium
instead of stratified epithelium.

Location:
It surrounds the upper
respiratory tract, such as the
trachea and bronchi.
 Trachea

The pseudostratified columnar epithelium of the upper respiratory

tract shown here contains numerous ciliated cells as well as other
cells with nuclei at different levels.
 Types of Stratified Epithelium
Stratified epithelium is named according to the shape of the cells on
the upper face (apical region)!

Stratified Columnar Epithelium

• It is seen in the conjunctiva, which
covers the eyelids and secretes
mucus.
• It is also seen in the excretory ducts
of the pancreas and salivary glands.

Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium

• It is seen in the large excretory ducts
of the salivary glands and sweat
glands.
 Stratified Cuboidal Epithelium

Stratified
cuboidal
epithelium

It is the excretory duct of salivary gland

 Stratified Squamous Epithelium
The very thin surface cells of stratified squamous epithelium can be
“keratinized” (filled with keratin intermediate filaments) or “non-
keratinized” (with a relatively sparse amount of keratin).

Non-keratinized epithelium Keratinized epithelium

Squamous

Polygonal

Columnar, cuboidal
 Stratified Squamous Keratinized Epithelium
• The cells of this epithelium form many layers with less differentiated cuboidal
cells near the underlying connective tissue.

• As these cells accumulate keratin during the keratinization process, they become
more irregular and flattened in shape.

Location:
Epidermis
• It is found in epidermis of skin.
• It is found in papillae
filiformes in tongue.

Function:
• It acts as a barrier.
• It has a role in protection.

• It prevents water loss. Keratin: A fibrous scleroprotein

 Stratified Squamous Non-Keratinized Epithelium
• This type of epithelium lines cavities such as the esophagus, oral cavity
and vagina, where water loss is not a problem.

• Here the flattened cells of the surface layer contain much less keratin
and retain their nuclei and metabolic functions.

Location:
• Esophagus
• Oral Cavity
• Vagina

Function:
• It acts as a barrier.
• It has a role in protection.
Esophagus
 Transitional Epithelium - Urothelium
• This epithelium is found only in the excretory ducts of the urinary system.
• It covers the lumen of the pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder.
• This stratified epithelium consists of several layers of similar cells.
• The epithelium changes shape in response to stretching as a result of fluid accumulation
or contraction during urination.

Location:
• Ureter
• Urinary Bladder

• Urethra

Function:
• Provides barrier and
• Stretching properties
 Transitional Epithelium: Bladder (Unstreched or Relaxed)
• In a relaxed, unstreched state, surface cells are generally cuboidal and
protrude outwards.
• Frequently, binucleate (two nuclei) cells can be seen in the superficial layers
or surface cells of the bladder.
 Transitional Epithelium: Bladder (Streched)
• When fluid begins to fill the bladder, the transitional epithelium changes its
shape.
• This is because the surface cells flatten to accommodate increasing surface area.
• In the stretched condition, the transitional epithelium may resemble stratified
squamous epithelium found in other regions of the body.