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Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Cells, Tissues and Body Organization

Epithelium

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˌepɪˈθiːliəm/nounCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, epithelium means: Tissue made of tightly packed cells that covers the body's surfaces and lines its cavities, tubes and glands, such as the outer layer of the skin and the lining of the gut.

In Turkish: epitel, epitel doku

How it is used

Histology classifies epithelium by cell shape (squamous, cuboidal, columnar) and by number of layers (simple or stratified). The adjective epithelial is very common: epithelial cells, epithelial tissue. The plural is epithelia.

Example sentences

  1. The alveoli are lined by a very thin simple squamous epithelium.

  2. Under the microscope, the epithelial layer of the skin is many cells thick.

Common collocations

  • squamous epithelium
  • columnar epithelium
  • stratified epithelium
  • epithelial cell
  • epithelial lining
  • tissueA group of similar cells, together with the material around them, that work together to do one job. The four basic types are epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous tissue.
  • connective tissueTissue that supports, connects and protects other tissues. Its cells are spread out in a matrix of fibers and ground substance; bone, cartilage, fat, tendons and blood are all types of it.
  • cellThe smallest living unit of the body. Each cell has a membrane and cytoplasm, most also have a nucleus, and groups of similar cells form tissues.
  • glandAn organ or group of cells that makes and releases a substance. Endocrine glands release hormones into the blood; exocrine glands release secretions such as sweat or saliva through ducts.

More terms: Cells, Tissues and Body Organization

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