Squamous epithelial cell
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| Epithelia |
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| Squamous epithelial cell |
| Columnar epithelial cell |
| Cuboidal epithelial cell |
| Specialised epithelia |
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In anatomy, squamous epithelium (squama- + -ous) is that surface whose outermost layer consists of thin, flat cells called squamous epithelial cells. The epithelium may be composed of one layer of cells, in which case it is referred to as simple squamous epithelium, or it may possess multiple layers,referred to then as stratified squamous epithelium.
Squamous epithelial cells have a polygonal appearance when viewed from above.[1] Squamous epithelial tissue regenerates readily; it turns over (replaces old cells with new ones) every few weeks. The cells of the basal layer only divide while replacing cells directly above themselves. The cells that are produced by the basal layer are called parabasal transit amplifying (TA) cells. The TA cells have 'committed' to cellular differentiation, and will not revert to basal reserve cells. The TA cells divide daily for up to 80 cell divisions and then they discontinue differentiation. Each time a TA cell divides, it does so in an asymmetrical fashion, with one daughter cell remaining in the TA layer while the other migrates upward, leaving the cell cycle. This final differentiation results in the formation of spinous cells. Spinous cells make up the thickest layer of epithelial tissues. In the case of cutaneous skin, the spinous cells develop into granulocytes. These then become superficial cells, programmed for death, and are sloughed off as cornified envelopes. (See keratinocytes.)[2]
Etymology and pronunciation
The word squamous (/ˈskweɪməs/) derives from squama and -ous, the former from the Latin squāmōsus, from squāma, "scale" (referring to fish or snake scales), because of the epithelial tissue's appearance on microscopy, with a polygonal tiling of thin, flat cells.
See also
References
- ^ Kühnel, Wolfgang (2003). Color atlas of cytology, histology, and microscopic anatomy. Thieme. p. 102. ISBN 978-3-13-562404-4.
- ^ Chow, L. T.; Broker, T. R. (2013). "Human Papillomavirus Infections: Warts or Cancer?". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 5 (7): a012997–a012997. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a012997. ISSN 1943-0264.
External links
1Histology at KUMC epithel-epith02 Simple squamous epithelium of the glomerulus (kidney) 2Diagrams of simple squamous epithelium 3Histology at KUMC epithel-epith12 Stratified squamous epithelium of the vagina 4Histology at KUMC epithel-epith14 Stratified squamous epithelium of the skin (thin skin) 5Histology at KUMC epithel-epith15 Stratified squamous epithelium of the skin (thick skin) 6 Stratified squamous epithelium of the esophagus
