Epithelial Cells And Tissues Flashcards
How do you get from cells to an organism?
cells-> tissues-> organs-> organ systems-> organism
What is a tissue?
A group/ groups of cells whose type, organisation and architecture are integral to its function. Tissues are made up of cells, ECM and fluid
What is the extra-cellular matrix?
Material deposited by cells which forms the “insoluble” part of the EC environment
Generally composed of fibrillar (or reticular) proteins (e.g., collagen, elastin) embedded in a hydrated gel (proteoglycans or “ground substance”)
May be poorly organised (e.g., loose connective tissue) or highly organised (e.g., tendon, bone, basal lamina)
What are the main 3 types of cells and their subtypes?
Connective tissue cells…
Fibroblasts
Chondrocytes
Osteocytes
Neural cells
Epithelial cells
What are neural cells?
Cells of the nervous system having 2 main types; neurones (carry electrical signals) and glial cells (support cells)
What are contractile tissues?
skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, smooth muscle
What are epithelial cells?
Cells which form continuous layers which line surfaces and separate tissue compartments and have a variety of other functions
What is the importance of having well organised and stable cell-cell junctions?
means the cells are not leaky - fully cohesive
Do tumours retain characteristics of the cell type from which they originate?
Yes
What are epithelial cancers called?
Carcinomas
What are mesenchymal cells (connective tissue and muscle) cancers called?
sarcomas
What are haematopoietic cancers called?
Leukaemia (from bone marrow cells)/ lymphomas if from white blood cells
What are neural cell cancers called?
neuroblastomas and gliomas
How would you describe epithelial organisation and what are their functions (4)?
epithelial cells make organised, stable cell-cell junctions to form continuous, cohesive layers
epithelial layers line internal and external body surfaces and have a variety of functions e.g., transport, absorption, secretion, protection
Cell-cell junctions are key to the formation and maintenance of epithelial layers
What two features of epithelial cells are used to classify them?
- Shape
- size
What do squamous cells look like?
Flattened , plate shaped
What do columnar epithelium cells look like?
Arranged in columns
What do cuboidal epithelium look like?
Cube-like
What is the name given to describe one layer appearance of epithelium?
simple
What is he name given to describe the multilayered appearance of epithelium?
Stratified
Where are simple squamous epithelium found?
Found in lung alveolar, epithelium, mesothelium and endothelium
What is the purpose of simple squamous epithelium?
form a thin epithelium that allows gas exchange to occur
Which surfaces are simple columnar epithelium found in?
Surfaces involved in absorption and secretion of molecules eg enterocytes lining the gut or surfaces involved in the uptake or breakdown of product of digestion
Where are simple cuboidal epithelium found?
linings found in ducts e.g., those lining the kidney collecting ducts
What are the two types of stratified squamous epithelium?
Keratinizing and Non-keratinizing
What is meant by non-keratinizing epithelium?
epithelial cells which do no undergo keratinisation and so retain their nuclei and organelles
Where are non-keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium found?
epithelium lining the mouth, oesophagus, anus, cervix and vagina
What is meant by keratinizing epihelium?
Epithelial cells which produce keratin
What happens to cells after they produce keratin?
The cells produce keratin and then die - becomes much thicker, stronger and protective surfaces epidermis - lose their organelles and nuclei (not visible under light microscopy)
What is the benefit of the keratinizing ability of some stratified squamous epithelium?
can form thick layers which are useful for protecting underlying tissues for various physical and chemical insults eg heat, cold, solvents (alcohol) and abrasion
What is meant by pseudo-stratified epithelium?
This epithelium appears to be multi-layered but on close examination, all th surface cells have contact with the basal laminae
Where are pseudo-stratified epithelium found?
Airway (trachea and bronchi) epithelium, various ducts in the urinary and reproductive tracts