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Related Concept Videos

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Stratified Epithelium01:29

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Stratified Epithelium

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Stratified epithelium consists of several stacked layers of cells. They provide the durability to withstand constant physical and chemical attacks. Stratified epithelium is named after the shape of the most apical layer of cells. Stratified squamous epithelium is the most common type found in the human body. In this tissue, the apical cells are squamous, whereas the basal layer contains either columnar or cuboidal cells. The basal cells divide to form new daughter cells, which gradually become...
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Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Overview01:22

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Epithelial tissues are classified according to the shape of the cells and the number of cell layers formed. Cell shapes can be squamous (flattened and thin), cuboidal (square-like, as wide as it is tall), or columnar (rectangular, taller than it is wide). Additionally, the nucleus shape helps identify the type of epithelial cells. Squamous cells have flattened disc-shaped nuclei, cuboidal cells have spherical nuclei, and columnar cells have elongated nuclei.
Based on the number of cell layers,...
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Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Glandular Epithelium01:20

Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Glandular Epithelium

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The glandular epithelium is made of one or more epithelial cells modified to synthesize and secrete chemical substances. Glandular epithelia can be classified based on cell number. Unicellular glands have individual secretory cells scattered across the epithelial monolayer. In contrast, multicellular glands consist of a hollow tubular duct attached to the cluster of secretory cells located in the deep pockets.
Multicellular glands are formed during early development when epithelial budding...
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Classification of Epithelial Tissues: Simple Epithelium01:30

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Simple epithelium consists of a single layer of cells that lines body cavities and blood vessels. The shape of the cells in the epithelium reflects the function of the tissue. Cells in simple squamous epithelium appear as thin scales with flat, elliptical nuclei that mirror the form of the cell.
Because of the thinness of the cells, simple squamous epithelium is present where the rapid passage of chemical compounds is observed. For example, the endothelium that lines the capillaries and vessels...
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Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions01:23

Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions

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Epithelial tissues are large sheets of cells covering all of the surfaces of the body. These surfaces can be internal or external, for example, skin, airways, the digestive tract, the urinary system, and the reproductive system. Hollow organs and body cavities that do not connect to the body's exterior, including blood vessels and serous membranes, are lined by epithelial tissue known as the endothelium.
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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix
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Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix

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How to build an epithelial tree.

Sarah V Paramore1, Katharine Goodwin2, Celeste M Nelson1,3

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America.

Physical Biology
|November 1, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nature builds complex epithelial trees through intrinsic and extrinsic cell mechanisms during development. Studying these diverse strategies across species offers insights for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Keywords:
mechanical stressmorphodynamicsorganogenesispatterning

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Epithelial trees form complex architectures in various organs.
  • Branching morphogenesis involves initiation, extension, and termination.
  • Mechanisms can be epithelial-intrinsic or epithelial-extrinsic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe how intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms drive epithelial tree branching.
  • To highlight diverse strategies across organs and species.
  • To connect branching morphogenesis to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies on lung, kidney, salivary, mammary, and pancreas development.
  • Analysis of collective cell behaviors in branching.
  • Inclusion of data from mouse, avian, and reptilian models.

Main Results:

  • Identified distinct mechanisms driving branch initiation, extension, and termination.
  • Demonstrated conserved morphogenetic motifs and repurposed strategies.
  • Highlighted organ- and species-specific variations in epithelial tree formation.

Conclusions:

  • Epithelial branching is orchestrated by diverse intrinsic and extrinsic cellular mechanisms.
  • Understanding these mechanisms provides a foundation for regenerative medicine.
  • Comparative analysis across species reveals fundamental principles of developmental biology.