Which of the following is a property of the epithelium shown in the histomicrograph below?
Answer
a.
The epithelial tissue contains cross sections of blood vessel lumens
b.
All cells of this epithelium are bound to the basal lamina
c.
It is found in areas of the body such as the oesophagus and anal canal.
d.
Some cells here are actively dividing and others have lost their nuclei, depending on their stage of development
c and d are correct answers.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Explanation of the Options:
- Option a: “The epithelial tissue contains cross sections of blood vessel lumens” – This suggests that the tissue might be part of the vascular epithelium or lining. However, if the histomicrograph is showing a non-vascular type of epithelium, this wouldn’t be accurate.
- Option b: “All cells of this epithelium are bound to the basal lamina” – This statement applies to most types of epithelium since epithelial cells typically rest on and are anchored to a basal lamina (or basement membrane), which supports the epithelium.
- Option c: “It is found in areas of the body such as the oesophagus and anal canal.” – This option suggests the epithelium in question is a stratified squamous epithelium, which is found in areas subject to abrasion like the esophagus and anal canal.
- Option d: “Some cells here are actively dividing and others have lost their nuclei, depending on their stage of development.” – This option describes the transitional stages of stratified squamous epithelium, especially the keratinized variety, where cells at the surface may lose their nuclei as they become more keratinized.
Correct Answer:
The correct answer is c and d.
- Option c is correct because stratified squamous epithelium is indeed found in areas like the oesophagus and anal canal, which are exposed to mechanical stress and need a tougher epithelial layer.
- Option d is correct because in stratified squamous epithelium, particularly in the skin or mucous membranes, basal layers often contain actively dividing cells, while surface cells become more keratinized and eventually lose their nuclei as they move outward.
To generate an image that matches this type of epithelium, I can create a representation of stratified squamous epithelium, which will show the layers of cells and highlight the keratinized surface where cells lose their nuclei.
I’ll generate that image for you.
Here is the image of stratified squamous epithelium, which matches the description of cells actively dividing in the basal layer and surface cells that have lost their nuclei and become keratinized. This type of epithelium is found in areas like the esophagus and anal canal. Let me know if you need further details or another visualization!