Epithelia Flashcards

1
Q

What is the relationship between epithelial function and breast cancer?

A

Caused by abnormal proliferation of epithelial cells

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2
Q

What is the relationship between epithelial function and cystic fibrosis (CF)?

A

Caused by defective epithelial chloride ion transport

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3
Q

What is the relationship between epithelial function and cholera?

A

Caused by enhanced activation of epithelial chloride ion transport in GI tract

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4
Q

What is the relationship between epithelial function and atherosclerosis?

A

Caused by superficial injury to epithelial lining of blood vessels > atherosclerosis

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5
Q

What are epithelia?

A

+ Cells that cover or line all the body surfaces, tubes and cavities

+ Cells that form the interfaces between different physiological fluid compartments

  • skin (blood tissues and environment)
  • blood vessel wall (blood and tissues)
  • gut wall (gut and blood)
  • lungs, alveoli (air and blood)
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6
Q

What are characteristics of epithelia?

A

+ Cells in intimate contact with each other and may be connected by tight junctions

+ Epithelial cells are separated from underlying tissues by the basement membrane (BM)

+ Cells undergo rapid division to replace those continually lost from the surface

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7
Q

What is the term for tumours that develop from epithelial cells?

A

Carcinoma

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8
Q

What are the basic features of epithelial cells?

A

+ Apex
+ Base
+ Basement membrane (BM)

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9
Q

What are the different shapes of epithelial cells?

A

+ Squamous
+ Cuboidal
+ Columnar

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10
Q

What are features of simple epithelia?

A

+ 1 layer of cells

+ All cells in direct contact with lumen and BM

+ Found at sites in the body where there is:

  • diffusion
  • absorption
  • secretion
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11
Q

What are features of stratified epithelia?

A

+ Multiple layers of cells

+ Cells in contact with BM = basal

+ Cells in contact with apex = apical

+ Found at sites of the body where there is need for protection

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12
Q

What is the advantage of thin epithelium?

A

The thinner the epithelium, the quicker diffusion or absorption can occur

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13
Q

What is the advantage of thick epithelium?

A

The thicker the epithelium the greater the protection from abrasion, infection or caustic content

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14
Q

Where can simple squamous epithelium be found?

A

Blood vessels

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15
Q

Where can simple cuboidal epithelium be found?

A

Kidney tubule

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16
Q

Where can simple columnar epithelium be found?

A

GI tract

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17
Q

Where can stratified squamous epithelium be found?

A

Skin

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18
Q

Where can stratified cuboidal epithelium be found?

A

Reproductive system

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19
Q

Where can pseudostratified columnar epithelium be found?

A

Respiratory system

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20
Q

Where can transitional epithelium be found?

A

Bladder

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21
Q

What are the functions/features of epithelium typically found in the lungs and blood vessels?

A

+ 1 Cell layer

+ Squamous/flattened

+ For exchange

+ Pores between cells permit easy passage of molecules

22
Q

What are the functions/features of epithelium typically found in the intestine (GI) and kidneys?

A

+ 1 cell layer

+ Cuboidal/columnar

+ For transporting

+ Tight junctions limit movement between cells

23
Q

What are the functions/features of epithelium typically found in the trachea and the female reproductive tract?

A

+ 1 cell layer

+ Cuboidal/columnar

+ Ciliated

+ Cilia move fluid across surface

24
Q

What are the functions/features of epithelium typically found in the skins and the mouth?

A

+ Multilayered

+ Squamous/flattened on the surface: polygonal in deeper layers

+ Protective

+ Cells tightly connected by many desmosomes

25
Q

What are the functions/features of epithelium typically found in the exocrine (pancreas and salivary glands) and the endocrine (thyroid)?

A

+ 1 cell layer/multilayered

+ Columnar/polygonal

+ Secretory

+ Extensive rough ER (proteins) or smooth ER (steroids)

26
Q

What are features of simple squamous epithelium?

A

+ Simple layer of flattened cells
+ Individual cells are very thin with a central nucleus
+ Pavement-like appearance of the cells
+ Irregular shape
+ Close proximity to each other (no gaps)

27
Q

What is the term for the epithelium that line the cavities of the body (serous membranes)?

A

Mesothelium

28
Q

What is the term for the epithelium that line blood vessels?

A

Endothelium

29
Q

What are features of simple columnar epithelium?

A

+ Apical surface of each cell is covered by several hundred microvilli forming the brush border to which mucus adheres

+ Goblet cells with intensely staining mucus released to lubricate gut contents

+ Basement membrane (BM) separates the epithelial cells from the underlying tissues

30
Q

In epithelium with goblet cells, what stains the mucus purple/red?

A

PAS stain for glycoproteins

31
Q

What are the features of stratified squamous epithelium?

A

+ Flattened cells that are worn off and shed from the surface by desquamation

+ Basal cells on the BM divide and move upwards to the surface

+ Protects underlying tissues from abrasion

+ Characteristic of wet epithelia subject to abrasion but not dehydration e.g

  • mouth
  • vagina
  • anal canal
32
Q

What are features of stratified, squamous, keratinised epithelium?

A

+ Resists water loss (dry)
+ Subject to abrasion
+ Dead squamous cells containing keratin undergo desquamation from the surface

33
Q

What are features of transitional epithelium in the bladder?

A

+ Many layers thick

+ High number of tight junctions to prevent leakage of urine from bladder into tissues

34
Q

What is the difference between non-epithelial and epithelial cells? I’m

A

Epithelial Cells:

\+ Tight junctions
\+ Basement membrane
\+ Apical membrane
\+ Baso-lateral membrane
\+ Basal membrane
35
Q

What are the different types of cell-cell junctions?

A

+ Gap junction
+ Tight junction
+ Adhering junction
+ Desmosome

36
Q

What are the different types of cell-matrix junctions?

A

+ Hemi-desmosome

+ Focal adhesions

37
Q

Features of gap junctions?

A

+ Communication

+ Connexin (membrane protein)

38
Q

Features of tight junctions?

A

+ Occluding
+ Occludin, claudin (membrane protein)
+ Actin (cytoskeleton fibre)

39
Q

Features of adhering junctions?

A

+ Anchoring
+ Cadherin (protein membrane)
+ Actin (cytoskeleton fibre)

40
Q

Features of desmosomes?

A

+ Anchoring
+ Cadherin (membrane protein)
+ Intermediate filaments (cytoskeleton fibre)

41
Q

Features of hemi-desmosomes?

A

+ Anchoring
+Integrin (membrane proteins)
+ Keratin (cytoskeleton fibre)
+ Laminin (extracellular matrix protein)

42
Q

Features of focal adhesions?

A

+ Anchoring
+Integrin (membrane proteins)
+ α-actin (cytoskeleton fibre)
+ Laminin (extracellular matrix protein)

43
Q

What are the different compartments of epithelial cells

A

+ Apical compartment

+ Basal compartment

44
Q

What are the ways in which molecules can cross the epithelial barrier?

A

+ Trans-cellular transport

  • secretion
  • absorption

+ Paracellular movement

45
Q

What are sealing strands?

A

Major tight junction proteins (claudins, occludins)

46
Q

What are the roles of tight junctions?

A

+ Barriers
- separate one compartment from another

+ Fences
- Maintain the asymmetric distribution of lipids and proteins in the apical and basal membranes

+ Gates
- allow some molecules to flow more easily than others

47
Q

What do tight junctions in epithelial cell layers do?

A
  1. Create a barrier between different compartments

2. Allow the processes of absorption and/or secretion to create compartments with different molecular compositions

48
Q

Which type of epithelium will allow rapid diffusion?

A

Simple squamous epithelium

49
Q

Which type of epithelium is vulnerable to damage?

A

(Stratified) keratinised epithelium

50
Q

Which type of epithelium will give more protection?

A

Stratified squamous epithelium

51
Q

Which epithelium will be more of a barrier to infection?

A

Thicker epithelium

  • stratified
  • columnar
52
Q

Which type of epithelium have a secretory function?

A

+ Pseudostratified, ciliated, columnar interspersed with goblet cells

+ Stratified squamous (with goblet cells) from