Epithelium Tissue

What is histology?

The study of tissues.

What are the four primary tissue types in the human body?

Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, Nervous.

What type of tissue covers the surface of the body and lines body cavities?

Epithelial tissue.

What is the function of epithelial tissue?

Protection, secretion, sensory reception, absorption, and filtration.

What are tight junctions?

Protein complexes that connect epithelial cells and prevent material from passing between them.

How are epithelial tissues classified?

Based on the number of cell layers and the shape of cells in the apical layer.

What defines simple epithelium?

An epithelium with only one layer of cells.

What is the shape of squamous epithelial cells?

Flat and scale-like.

What is pseudostratified columnar epithelium?

An epithelium that appears multilayered but is not; all cells touch the basement membrane.

Where is simple squamous epithelium found?

Air sacs of the lungs, glomerular capsules of kidneys, lining of the heart and blood vessels.

What are the functions of the stratified squamous epithelium?

Protection against mechanical abrasion, water loss, and pathogen entry.

What additional feature do simple cuboidal epithelial cells often have?

Microvilli to increase surface area.

What is the primary function of transitional epithelium?

To stretch and allow filling of the urinary tract.

Where is stratified columnar epithelium commonly found?

In the pharynx, epiglottis, male urethra, and vas deferens.

What type of epithelium contains goblet cells?

Pseudostratified columnar epithelium and simple columnar epithelium.

What is the role of cilia in epithelial tissue?

To move materials across the cell surface.