Asynchronous Activity

Let’s explore these 4 histology structures from the different types of tissues.🔬

1. Simple columnar (ciliated)
The simple columnar epithelium has a characteristic of containing one layer of cells that are taller or having a column-like appearance. This can be classified into two functional types which are ciliated and nonciliated. In the illustration, it is ciliated due to the presence of cilia or the finger-like projections of the plasma membrane on the cell’s apical surfaces. Each cell may have up to 300 cilia which beats in a synchronized fashion with the cells near to it to propel materials over the epithelium surface. The nucleus of these cells has an oval shape and is usually located towards the basal region. And, the cells that are usually scattered in the entire epithelium are called goblet cells.

2. Hyaline cartilage
Hyaline cartilage constitutes one of the three types of cartilage and is the most common type of cartilage in the body. It presents a glossy pearl-gray or blue-white in appearance and is found on surfaces of joints and in the cartilage composing the fetal skeleton and at bone ends in human adults. Its intercellular matter consists of a gel membrane containing collagen protein fibers, secreted by the chondrocytes. This cartilage lacks blood vessels and nerves. And, it is enclosed by a perichondrium which is a dense fibrous layer lined with cells capable of secreting a hyaline matrix.

3. Smooth muscle
Smooth muscle is a non-striated muscle and is involuntary in nature located throughout the body serving its variety of functions. Its non-striated pattern is due to the thick and thin filaments that are not arranged into sarcomeres. If we view them under microscopes, it will appear homogeneous. Its cytoplasm consists of a large amount of actin and myosin which are the main proteins involved in muscle contraction. Its shape is described as fusiform as it is round in the center and tapering at each end.

4. Ependymal cells
Ependymal cells are characterized as irregular, flattened, or elongated columnar cells that differ with the typical cuboidal cells of most of the ventricular system’s surface. Unlike the ciliated ependymal cells of other regions, these cells lack or may contain a very few cilia.

Reference/s:
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, March 27). Hyaline cartilage | Description, Characteristics, Anatomy, & Function. https://www.britannica.com/science/hyaline-cartilage.
Hafen, B. B., Shook, M., & Burns, B. (2023, July 17). Anatomy, smooth muscle. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532857/.
Kenhub. (2023, October 30). Simple columnar epithelium. https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/simple-columnar-epithelium.
Moini, J., Avgeropoulos, N. G., & Samsam, M. (2021). Ependymal tumors. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-821736-8.00019-4.