Oral Mucosa Flashcards
What are the 3 functions of oral mucosa?
- Protection (against mechanical forces, microbial invasion, toxins, antigens)
- Sensation (touch, proprioception, taste, pain)
- Secretion (lubrication from minor salivary glands)
Name the 3 classifications of the oral mucosa
- Masticatory mucosa
- Lining mucosa
- Specialised mucosa
Provide examples of where masticatory mucosa is found
- Gingiva (free & attached)
- Dorsal surface of tongue
- Hard palate
Provide examples of where lining mucosa is found
- Ventral surface of tongue
- Labial/buccal mucossa
- FOM
- Alveolar mucosa
Provide examples of where specialised mucosa is found
- Vermillion border
- Dorsal surface of tongue (taste buds)
What are the 4 layers of the oral mucosa?
- Epithelium
- Lamina propria
- Submucosa (adipocytes & glands)
- Bone
What are the 4 layers of the oral mucoperiosteum?
- Epithelium
- Lamina propria
- Periosteum
- Bone
What is the key structural difference between the oral mucosa and oral mucoperiosteum?
Oral mucosa has submucosa
Oral mucoperiosteum does not have submucosa, instead has a periosteum
What are the layers of the keratinised epithelium?
- Keratinised layer (stratum corneum)
- Granular layer (stratum granulosum)
- Prickle layer (stratum spinosum)
- Basal layer (stratum basale/ germinativum)
What are the layers of non-keratinised epithelium?
- Superifical layer
- Intermediate layer
- Prickle layer
- Basal layer
What are the histological differences between the orthokeratinised and parakeratinsed epithelium?
- Orthokeratinised epithelium has a more prominent granular layer compared to parakeratinised epithelium
- Orthokeratinised epithelium appears more pale pink compared to parakeratinised epithelium
- Orthokeratinised do not contain nuclei in the keratinised layer; Parakertainised contains nuclei in the keratinised layer
Name the 4 non-keratinocytes in the oral epithelium
- Melanocyte
- Langerhans cell
- Merkel cell
- Lymphocyte
Where are melanocytes located in the oral epithelium?
Basal layer
What is the function of the melanocyte?
- Melanosome synthesis (melanin pigment of granules)
2. Transfer of melanosome to surrounding keratinocytes
Where are Langerhans cells located?
Suprabasal layer