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Microscopy Images of Epithelial Types

All images are from Histology: A Text and Atlas with Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology (H&E stains).

Classification Overview

Epithelium is classified by two criteria:

Number of layers: simple (one layer) vs. stratified (two or more layers)
Shape of surface cells: squamous (wider than tall), cuboidal (equal dimensions), columnar (taller than wide)

Special types include pseudostratified and transitional (urothelium).

PLATE 5.1 - Simple Squamous & Simple Cuboidal Epithelia

Plate 5.1 - Simple squamous (mesovarium mesothelium, top-left; endothelium silver stain, top-right), simple squamous in kidney glomerulus (middle-left, labeled SSE), simple cuboidal in pancreatic duct (middle-right, labeled PD/TB), simple cuboidal respiratory bronchiole (bottom-left, labeled CC/AW), and simple cuboidal hepatocytes in liver (bottom-right, labeled H/S/C)

Top-left: Simple squamous epithelium (mesothelium) over adipose tissue (A). MC = mesothelial cell nuclei visible as a flat single layer. CT = connective tissue.

Top-right: Simple squamous endothelium shown with silver stain - individual cell borders and central nuclei (N) are clearly visible.

Middle-left: Kidney glomerulus with simple squamous epithelium (SSE) lining Bowman's capsule (urinary space = US). Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) lined by simple cuboidal cells.

Middle-right: Pancreatic duct (PD) lined by simple cuboidal epithelium. TB = terminal bar (junctional complex) at apical cell borders. CT = surrounding connective tissue.

Bottom-left: Respiratory bronchiole (airway = AW) lined by cuboidal cells (CC) with an inset at higher magnification.

Bottom-right: Liver parenchyma - hepatocytes (H) are simple cuboidal cells arranged in cords separated by blood sinusoids (S). Inset shows bile canaliculus (C) between adjacent hepatocytes.

PLATE 5.2 - Simple & Stratified Epithelia (including Pseudostratified)

Plate 5.2 - Six-panel plate: top-left = simple columnar/cuboidal (pancreas acini), top-right = simple cuboidal (kidney tubule), middle-left = simple columnar intestinal glands (GL) with goblet cells, middle-right = pseudostratified ciliated columnar (trachea, labeled C/CC/BC), bottom-left = pseudostratified columnar (epididymis, labeled CC/BC), bottom-right = stratified squamous nonkeratinized (vagina, labeled CT)

Top-left: Exocrine pancreas showing simple columnar/cuboidal arrangements. Arrows mark duct cells (simple squamous/cuboidal); circled acini show simple columnar secretory arrangement.

Top-right: Kidney tubules showing simple cuboidal cells (arrows mark lateral boundaries; asterisk marks smaller cuboidal tubule).

Middle-left: Simple columnar epithelium of the colon. Intestinal glands (GL) extend into the connective tissue (CT). Arrows point to goblet cells with their pale mucus cups.

Middle-right: Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium (trachea). Cilia (C) visible at apical surface, columnar cells (CC) and basal cells (BC) both contact the basement membrane but create a false stratified appearance. Circle = tracheal gland (simple columnar).

Bottom-left: Pseudostratified columnar epithelium (epididymis). Two rows of nuclei - columnar cells (CC) and basal cells (BC) - all anchored to basement membrane. Note stereocilia (modified long microvilli) at apical surface.

Bottom-right: Stratified squamous nonkeratinized epithelium (vagina). Multiple cell layers, surface cells remain nucleated and squamous. Deeper basal cells are smaller and more crowded. CT = connective tissue.

PLATE 5.3 - Stratified Epithelia, Transitional & Epithelioid Tissues

Stratified squamous (esophagus) + stratified cuboidal (esophageal gland duct):

The esophageal wall (left of specimen) shows stratified squamous epithelium (SS). The esophageal gland duct (right) shows stratified cuboidal (StCu) - two layers with cuboidal surface cells. This side-by-side appearance in one section is a useful teaching comparison.

Stratified squamous keratinized (skin - epidermis):

Epidermis shows the full keratinization gradient: nucleated basal and spinous layers at the base progressing to the anucleate cornified squames at the surface.

Stratified columnar epithelium (anorectal junction):

Anorectal junction - abrupt transition (arrowhead) from simple columnar (SCol, left) to stratified cuboidal (StCu, right) at the anal canal

Abrupt transition (arrowhead) from simple columnar colon epithelium (left) to stratified cuboidal at the anal canal (right). This junction is a classic location to observe epithelial type switching.

Transitional epithelium / Urothelium (urinary bladder):

Non-distended bladder (4-5 layers thick). Dome-shaped umbrella cells (asterisks) occupy the surface. Intermediate cells are pear-shaped. Basal cells are smallest with closely-packed nuclei. On distension, surface cells flatten and total thickness reduces to ~3 layers.

Summary Table

Type	Layers	Cell Shape	Key Locations
Simple squamous	1	Flat	Endothelium, mesothelium, Bowman's capsule, alveoli
Simple cuboidal	1	Equal dimensions	Kidney tubules, thyroid follicles, ducts, liver
Simple columnar	1	Taller than wide	GI tract, gallbladder, uterine tubes
Pseudostratified columnar	1 (appears stratified)	Mixed heights	Trachea/bronchi (ciliated), epididymis
Stratified squamous nonkeratinized	Multiple	Squamous surface	Oral cavity, esophagus, vagina, cornea
Stratified squamous keratinized	Multiple	Squamous + keratin	Epidermis (skin)
Stratified cuboidal	Multiple	Cuboidal surface	Sweat gland ducts, esophageal gland ducts
Stratified columnar	Multiple	Columnar surface	Rare - large ducts, urethra
Transitional (urothelium)	Multiple (variable)	Dome-shaped surface	Renal calyces, ureter, bladder, proximal urethra

Source: Histology: A Text and Atlas with Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology, Plates 5.1-5.3

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I now have all the images retrieved. Here is the complete, organized reference with all the microscopy images from Histology: A Text and Atlas with Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology.

Microscopy Images of Epithelial Types

Source: Histology: A Text and Atlas with Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology — Plates 5.1, 5.2, 5.3. All stains are H&E unless noted.

Classification Primer

Epithelium is named by combining two descriptors:

Layers: Simple (one cell thick) or Stratified (two or more layers)
Surface cell shape: Squamous (wider than tall) / Cuboidal (equal dimensions) / Columnar (taller than wide)

Special types: Pseudostratified (looks stratified but all cells touch the basement membrane) and Transitional/Urothelium (changes shape with distension).

PLATE 5.1 — Simple Squamous & Simple Cuboidal Epithelia

Plate 5.1: Top-left = simple squamous mesothelium (mesovarium, H&E ×350) showing flat MC nuclei over adipose (A) and CT; top-right = simple squamous endothelium (mesentery, silver stain ×350) with polygonal cell outlines and disc-like nuclei (N); middle-left = simple squamous (SSE) lining Bowman capsule in kidney renal corpuscle, urinary space (US), PCT; middle-right = simple cuboidal in pancreatic duct (PD) with terminal bars (TB); bottom-left = simple cuboidal in respiratory bronchiole (AW, CC); bottom-right = simple cuboidal hepatocytes (H) in liver cords separated by sinusoids (S), inset showing bile canaliculus (C)

Panel	Type	Tissue	Key Features
Top-left	Simple squamous	Mesovarium mesothelium, H&E ×350	Flat MC nuclei as single layer over adipose (A)
Top-right	Simple squamous	Mesentery endothelium, silver ×350	Polygonal cell outlines, disc-like nuclei (N)
Middle-left	Simple squamous	Kidney Bowman capsule, H&E	SSE lines urinary space (US); PCT = proximal tubule (cuboidal)
Middle-right	Simple cuboidal	Pancreatic duct (PD), H&E	Cells equally wide and tall; terminal bars (TB) at apical junctions
Bottom-left	Simple cuboidal	Respiratory bronchiole, H&E	Cuboidal cells (CC) lining airway (AW)
Bottom-right	Simple cuboidal	Liver, H&E	Hepatocytes (H) in cords; sinusoids (S); bile canaliculus (C) in inset

PLATE 5.2 — Simple & Pseudostratified & Stratified Squamous Epithelia

Plate 5.2: Top-left = simple columnar/cuboidal (exocrine pancreas, H&E ×450) with acini (circled) and duct cells (arrows); top-right = simple cuboidal kidney tubules (arrows mark lateral boundaries, asterisk = smaller tubule); middle-left = simple columnar colon with intestinal glands (GL) and goblet cells (arrows); middle-right = pseudostratified ciliated columnar trachea with cilia (C), columnar cells (CC), basal cells (BC), CT, and a circled tracheal gland; bottom-left = pseudostratified columnar epididymis (CC, BC) with stereocilia; bottom-right = stratified squamous nonkeratinized vagina showing multiple cell layers and squamous surface, CT below

Panel	Type	Tissue	Key Features
Top-left	Simple columnar / cuboidal	Exocrine pancreas, H&E ×450	Acini (circled) = columnar; ducts and small tubules = cuboidal (asterisk)
Top-right	Simple cuboidal	Kidney tubules, H&E	Arrows = lateral cell boundaries; asterisk = smaller cuboidal tubule
Middle-left	Simple columnar	Colon, H&E ×350	Tall cells with basal nuclei; goblet cells (pale cups, arrows); intestinal glands (GL)
Middle-right	Pseudostratified ciliated columnar	Trachea, H&E ×450	Cilia (C) at apex; two rows of nuclei — columnar cells (CC) + basal cells (BC); all contact basement membrane; circled tracheal gland = simple columnar
Bottom-left	Pseudostratified columnar	Epididymis, H&E ×450	CC + BC nuclei at two levels; long stereocilia (modified microvilli) at apex
Bottom-right	Stratified squamous nonkeratinized	Vagina, H&E ×225	Multiple layers; surface cells remain nucleated and flat; basal cells small and crowded; glycogen-rich cytoplasm appears pale

PLATE 5.3 — Stratified Epithelia & Transitional Epithelium

Stratified squamous nonkeratinized (vaginal wall) — close-up:

Stratified squamous epithelium, vagina, human H&E ×225 — multiple layers visible, surface cells flat and nucleated, deeper basal cells (BC) small and crowded, underlying CT with fibroblasts

Multiple layers with flat nucleated surface cells. Basal cells (BC) are small with dense nuclei. The pale cytoplasm above the basal layer reflects glycogen that washes out during slide preparation.

Anorectal junction — epithelial transition (simple columnar → stratified cuboidal):

Anorectal junction, human H&E ×300: left = simple columnar (SCol) of colon; arrowhead = abrupt transition to stratified cuboidal (StCu) at the anal canal; CT = connective tissue infiltrated with lymphocytes

The abrupt transition (arrowhead) from simple columnar colon epithelium (left) to stratified cuboidal at the anal canal makes this a classic teaching specimen for comparing two epithelial types side-by-side.

Transitional epithelium / Urothelium (urinary bladder, non-distended):

Transitional epithelium, urinary bladder, monkey H&E ×400 — 4–5 layers; dome-shaped umbrella cells (asterisks) at surface; pear-shaped intermediate cells; small basal cells with crowded nuclei; CT = connective tissue below

Non-distended bladder shows 4-5 layers. Distinctive dome-shaped umbrella cells (asterisks) occupy the surface. Intermediate cells are pear-shaped. The smallest cells are at the base. On distension the umbrella cells flatten, total thickness drops to ~3 layers, and the entire epithelium appears stratified squamous.

Quick-Reference Summary

Epithelial Type	Layers	Location	What to Look For
Simple squamous	1	Endothelium, mesothelium, Bowman capsule, alveoli	Flat cells; nuclei bulge into lumen
Simple cuboidal	1	Kidney tubules, thyroid follicles, liver, ducts	Cells as tall as wide; round central nuclei
Simple columnar	1	GI tract, gallbladder, uterine tube	Tall cells; oval basal nuclei; goblet cells in intestine
Pseudostratified columnar	1 (appears ×2)	Trachea/bronchi (ciliated), epididymis	Two rows of nuclei; all cells on basement membrane
Stratified squamous (nonkeratinized)	Multiple	Oral cavity, esophagus, vagina, cornea	Flat nucleated surface cells; basal layer cuboidal
Stratified squamous (keratinized)	Multiple	Epidermis	Anucleate keratin squames at surface
Stratified cuboidal	Multiple	Sweat gland ducts, esophageal gland ducts	Two layers; cuboidal surface cells
Transitional (urothelium)	Variable (3-5)	Renal pelvis, ureter, bladder	Dome-shaped umbrella cells; changes with distension

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