Text Book of Biology, Part 1: VertebrataWells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Science
Text Book of Biology, Part 1: Vertebrata
Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)
Biology -- Textbooks
Section 58. The outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), the inmost
lining of the alimentary canal, the lining of the body cavity, and the
inner linings of blood-vessels, glands, and various ducts constitute our
first division. The general name for such tissues is epithelium. When
the cells are more or less flattened, they form squamous epithelium
(Figure VI.) such as we find lining the inside of a man's cheek (from
which the cells sq.ep. were taken) or covering the mesentery of
various types-- sq.end. are from the mesentery (Section 16) of a frog.
A short cylindroidal form of cell makes up columnar epithelium, seen
typically in the cells covering the villi of the duodenum (Figure V.).
This epithelium of the villi has the outer border curiously striated, and
this is usually spoken of as leading towards "ciliated" epithelium, to
be described immediately. The epithelium of the epididermis is
stratified-- that is to say, has many thicknesses of cells; the deeper
layers are alive and dividing (stratum mucosum), while the more
superficial are increasingly flattened and drier as the surface is
approached (stratum corneum) and are continually being rubbed off
and replaced from below.
Section 59. In the branching air-tubes of the lung, the central canal of
the spinal cord, and in the ureters of the rabbit, and in most other
types, in various organs, we find ciliated epithelium (Figure VII.).
This is columnar or cubical in form, and with the free edge curiously
modified and beset with a number of hair-like processes, the cilia, by
which, during the life of the cell, a waving motion is sustained in one
direction. This motion assists in maintaining a current in the contents
of ducts which are lined with this tissue. The motion is independent of
the general life of the animal, so long as the constituent cell still
lives, and so it is easy for the student to witness it himself with a
microscope having a 1/4-inch or 1/6-inch objective. Very fine cilia may
be seen by gently scraping the roof of a frog's mouth (the cells figured
are from this source), or the gill of a recently killed mussel, and
mounting at once in water, or, better, in a very weak solution of
common salt.
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