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