Epithelial cells

Question 1

What are the 5 major cell categories

Answer 1

1. Haematopoietic cells: red and white cells, and the cells of the bone marrow from which they are derived
2. Neural cells: cells of the nervous system - two main types; neurones (which carry electrical signals) and glial cells (support cells)
3. Contractile tissues: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, smooth muscle
4. Connective tissue cells: fibroblasts (many tissues), chondrocytes (cartilage), osteocytes (bone)
5. Epithelial cells

Question 2

What are epithelial cells?

Answer 2

Cohesive cells forming continuous layers, these layers line surfaces and separate tissue compartments and have a variety of other functions
Make stable cell-cell junctions and stability and maintenance are important to form one continuous layer

Question 3

What are the 2 ways epithelial cells are categorised on their histological appearance (what they look like under a light microscope)?

Answer 3

1. Shape

2. Layering

Question 4

What are the 3 types of epithelial cells based on their shape?

Answer 4

1. Squamous - flattened plate shapes
2. Columnar - arranged in columns
3. Cuboidal - cube-like

Question 5

What are the 2 types of epithelial cells based on their layering?

Answer 5

1. Simple - single layer

2. Stratified - multi-layer

Question 6

What is simple squamous and some examples?

Answer 6

Flat (wider than they are tall) and single layered

e.g. exchange - lung alveolar, mesothelium, endothelium

Question 7

What is simple columnar and some examples?

Answer 7

Taller than they are wide and single layered

e.g. absorption and secretion - enterocytes

Question 8

What is simple cuboidal and some examples?

Answer 8

As wide as they are tall and single layered

e.g. ducts - kidney collecting duct

Question 9

What is stratifies squamous and some examples?

Answer 9

Flattened shape and multiple layers
Cell shapes vary in the various layers
It is squamous as the surface cells are used for description

Question 10

What are the 2 main types of epithelial cells?

Answer 10

1. Keratinising

2. Non-keratinising