Epithelium Quiz

Epithelium is a layer of cells that covers body surfaces, lines body cavities, or constitutes glands.

Epithelium can be classified into simple epithelium (e.g., lining of blood vessels) and stratified epithelium (e.g., skin). It can also be classified based on cell shape, such as squamous epithelium (e.g., lining of alveoli in the lungs) and columnar epithelium (e.g., lining of the stomach).

Epithelium has various functions, such as secretion (e.g., columnar epithelium in the stomach and gastric glands), absorption (e.g., columnar epithelium in the intestines and proximal convoluted tubules in the kidney), transportation (e.g., material movement by motile cilia on the surface of epithelium), protection (e.g., skin and urothelium in the bladder), and reception of stimuli (e.g., taste buds in the tongue).

<p>The chief characters of epithelium include being predominantly cellular, having adhesion to basement membrane (composed of basal lamina and reticular lamina), being avascular, having various cell shapes, and having the ability to regenerate (which makes tumors common).</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Epithelium develops from all three germ layers. Ectoderm gives rise to epithelium of the skin, mouth, nose, and anal canal. Endoderm gives rise to epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract, glands, respiratory tract, and distal parts of the genitourinary tract. Mesoderm gives rise to epithelium of body cavities, endothelium, and proximal parts of the genitourinary tract.</p> Signup and view all the answers