WHAT TISSUE IS THIS? – 3
Still in doubt about the characterization of the epithelium and its differences with the connective tissue?
Pay attention to the following details:
In the epithelium, the cell nuclei are clearly visible. The acidophilic regions (pink) around each nucleus are the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells. There is almost no space between the cells and, therefore, the cells are closely juxtaposed.
The nuclei in the connective tissue, are seen quite far apart from each other. The cytoplasm of the cells that contain these nuclei is very thin and is barely visible. The areas between the cells are spaces filled by extracellular matrix – there are many collagen fibers in pink, of different sizes and thicknesses – and, in addition, apparently empty spaces resulting from technical artifacts due to the retraction of components of the extracellular matrix.
Pay attention to the following details:
In the epithelium, the cell nuclei are clearly visible. The acidophilic regions (pink) around each nucleus are the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells. There is almost no space between the cells and, therefore, the cells are closely juxtaposed.
The nuclei in the connective tissue, are seen quite far apart from each other. The cytoplasm of the cells that contain these nuclei is very thin and is barely visible. The areas between the cells are spaces filled by extracellular matrix – there are many collagen fibers in pink, of different sizes and thicknesses – and, in addition, apparently empty spaces resulting from technical artifacts due to the retraction of components of the extracellular matrix.
There are no blood vessels in the epithelium. In image of the connective tissue, there is one blood vessel indicated.
In the epithelia that line the cavities of the digestive, respiratory and urinary systems, this layer of connective tissue is also called lamina propria.
In the moist (internal) surfaces of the body, at the surface of the cavities of internal organs, the combination of epithelium + lamina propria is called mucous membrane, a term often simplified to mucosa (such as: oral mucosa, gastric mucosa).
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