COMMON CELL SHAPES
The shapes of cells of a complex organism are very diverse and usually closely associated with the functions they perform.
1- The flat or pavement cells resemble scales and may be compared with a fried egg in which the yolk would be the nucleus. Their outline after sectioned can be oval or elongated and their flattened nucleus is usually elliptical. They cover, for instance, the internal surface of blood vessels.
2- Spherical cells. Most exist only in a liquid medium, as is the case of the blood or lymph cells. Many types of cells, such as macrophages, which are free and migratory, are more or less spherical, depending on their position and on the contacts they establish with neighbor cells or surfaces.
3- Cubic or better cuboid cells. Few cells have the true shape of a cube shown in Fig. 3a. In fact, most of this type are approximately cubic and for this reason called cuboid cells. As their walls very often establish contact with neighbor cells they usually have several small surfaces as shown in Fig. 3b, instead of the six surfaces of a true cube.
4- Prismatic or columnar cells are shaped as tall cuboids (Fig. 4a) and, similarly to them usually have several small surfaces (Fig. 4b).
5- Polyhedral cells. For example the shapes of the liver hepatocytes seen in the first pages of this chapter differ between approximately spherical and approximately cubic. This is a very common type of cell shape that has several small surfaces as they contact neighbor cells.
6- Spindle-shaped cells are long with thinner or sometimes pointed ends. The smooth muscle cells, for example, are spindle-shaped.
7- Cylindrical cells are shaped as cylinders with somewhat flat ends that are not cone-shaped as the spindle cells. Cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, for example, are cylindrical.
1- The flat or pavement cells resemble scales and may be compared with a fried egg in which the yolk would be the nucleus. Their outline after sectioned can be oval or elongated and their flattened nucleus is usually elliptical. They cover, for instance, the internal surface of blood vessels.
2- Spherical cells. Most exist only in a liquid medium, as is the case of the blood or lymph cells. Many types of cells, such as macrophages, which are free and migratory, are more or less spherical, depending on their position and on the contacts they establish with neighbor cells or surfaces.
3- Cubic or better cuboid cells. Few cells have the true shape of a cube shown in Fig. 3a. In fact, most of this type are approximately cubic and for this reason called cuboid cells. As their walls very often establish contact with neighbor cells they usually have several small surfaces as shown in Fig. 3b, instead of the six surfaces of a true cube.
4- Prismatic or columnar cells are shaped as tall cuboids (Fig. 4a) and, similarly to them usually have several small surfaces (Fig. 4b).
5- Polyhedral cells. For example the shapes of the liver hepatocytes seen in the first pages of this chapter differ between approximately spherical and approximately cubic. This is a very common type of cell shape that has several small surfaces as they contact neighbor cells.
6- Spindle-shaped cells are long with thinner or sometimes pointed ends. The smooth muscle cells, for example, are spindle-shaped.
7- Cylindrical cells are shaped as cylinders with somewhat flat ends that are not cone-shaped as the spindle cells. Cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, for example, are cylindrical.
