This document provides information on the histology of the large intestine. It describes the four layers (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa) and highlights some unique features of the large intestine including teniae coli, haustrations, and omentum appendices. Details are given on the histology of the colon mucosa, including the epithelium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and cell types. Differences between the small and large intestines are summarized in a table. The appendix, rectum, and anal canal are also described.
This document provides information on the histology of the large intestine. It describes the four layers (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa) and highlights some unique features of the large intestine including teniae coli, haustrations, and omentum appendices. Details are given on the histology of the colon mucosa, including the epithelium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and cell types. Differences between the small and large intestines are summarized in a table. The appendix, rectum, and anal canal are also described.
This document provides information on the histology of the large intestine. It describes the four layers (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa) and highlights some unique features of the large intestine including teniae coli, haustrations, and omentum appendices. Details are given on the histology of the colon mucosa, including the epithelium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and cell types. Differences between the small and large intestines are summarized in a table. The appendix, rectum, and anal canal are also described.
This document provides information on the histology of the large intestine. It describes the four layers (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, serosa) and highlights some unique features of the large intestine including teniae coli, haustrations, and omentum appendices. Details are given on the histology of the colon mucosa, including the epithelium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and cell types. Differences between the small and large intestines are summarized in a table. The appendix, rectum, and anal canal are also described.
large intestine are the reabsorption of electrolytes and water and elimination of undigested food and waste which is facilitated by secretion of mucous LARGE INTESTINE The four layers characteristic of alimentary canal are present throughout However it has three unique features: Teniae coli – three narrowed, longitudinal,equally spaced bands of outer longitudinal layer of muscularis externa Haustration – pocket like visible sacculations between the teniae coli Omentum appendices – small fatty projections of the serosa HISTOLOGY OF LARGE INTESTINE COLON Mucosa I. Epithelium II. Lamina propria III. Muscularis mucosa Submucosa Muscularis externa Serosa/adventitia MUCOSA •The surface of the mucosa is relatively smooth as there are no plicae circulares or intestinal villi.
• Crypts of Lieberkühn are
present and usually longer and straighter than those of the small intestine.
• Goblet cells account for
more of the epithelial cells than in the small intestine MUCOSA Epithelium Simple columnar epithelium
Glands are lined by the
same epithelium
4 types of cells are present
Columnar absorptive cells – microvilli less prominent Goblet cells Enteroendocrine cells-- rare Undifferentiated stem cells MUCOSA Columnar absorptive cells predominate over goblet cells in most of the colon(4:1)
The ratio decreases
reaching 1:1 near the rectum(goblet cells increases) Longitudinal section of one gland stained for glycoproteins shows mucus in the lumen and two major cell types in the epithelium: goblet cells (G) and other columnar cells specialized for water absorption LAMINA PROPRIA •There is only little lamina propria squeezed between the glands consisting of a layer of loose connective tissue present beneath the epithelium
•Infiltereted with lymphocytes ,plasma
cells and mast cells LAMINA PROPRIA •Additional structural features present in lamina propria include • Collagen table • Pericryptal fibroblast sheath • GALT-solitary lymphatic nodules • Lymphatic vessels MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE Typical 2 layers Inner circular smooth muscle layer
Outer longitudinal smooth muscle layer SUBMUCOSA •Connective tissue present between the mucosa and muscularis externa, thicker than lamina propria
•Lodges collagen fibres and
few cells •Large blood vessels •Lymphatics •Meissner’s plexus •No glands MUSCULARIS EXTERNA • Inner circular layer of muscle forms the usual sheath around the large intestine
• Outer longitudinal muscle
layer forms three flattened strands, the taenia coli.
• Only a thin layer of
longitudinal muscle surrounds the inner circular muscle layer between the taenia coli SEROSA Where the large intestine is directly in contact with other structures its outer layer is an adventitia (retroperitoneal),elsewhe re,the outer layer is typical serosa (intraperitoneal)
The adventitia forms
small pouches (appendices epiploicae) filled with fatty tissue along the large intestine The large intestine is identified by: •Numerous goblet cells •Deep crypts with no villi •Numerous lymphocytes and richness in MALT due to large bacteria population Small and large intestine PARAMETER SMALL INTESTINE LARGE INTESTINE MUCOSA THICKNESS THIN THICK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SMALL AND LARGE INTESTINE MUCOSAL PLICAE CIRCULARIS CRESENTERIC FOLDS FOLDS,VILLI,CRYPTS VILLI LONGER CRYPTS CRYPTS NO VILLI
LAMINA PROPRIA LESS MORE
INTESTINAL GLANDS SHALLOW DEEP
CELLS •ABSORPTIVE COLUMNAR +++ WITH MICROVILLI + WITHOUT MICROVILLI •PANETH ABSENT •ENTEROENDOCRINE ++ +/ABSENT •GOBLET CELL + ++/+++ •UNDIFFERENTIATED STEM + +(WITH SLOW MITOSES) CELLS +(WITH RAPID MITOSIS) PARAMETER SMALL INTESTINE LARGE INTESTINE
CONNECTIVE TISSUE LEUKOCYTES SOLITARY LYMPH
STROMAL CELLS BETWEEN PLASMA CELLS NODULES CRYPTS LYMPHOCYTES DIFFUSE LYMPHOCYTES
SUBMUCOSA SUBMUCOSA OF NO GLANDS
DUODENUM CONTAINS NO LYMPHOID FOLLICLES BRUNNER’S GLANDS PEYER’S PATCHES ARE PRESENT IN SUBMUCOSA OF ILEUM
MUSCULARIS EXTERNA INNER CIRCULAR AND INNER CIRCULAR LAYER IS
OUTER LONGITUDINAL WELL DEVELOPED, WHILE LAYER BUT NO TAENIA THE OUTER COLI LONGITUDINAL FORM 3 BANDS,TENIAE COLI HAUSTRATIONS ABSENT PRESENT
SEROSA FORMED FROM FORMED BY MASSES OF
CONNECTIVE TISSUE AND ADIPOSE CONNECTIVE SIMPLE SQUAMOUS TISSUE WITH SIMPLE MESOTHELIUM SQUAMOUS MESOTHELIUM FORMING APPENDICS EPIPLOICAE THE VERMIFORM APPENDIX Small blind-ending diverticulum
Large accumulations of lymphoid tissue in the lamina propria and submucosa
Intestinal villi are usually
absent, and crypts of lieberkuhn do not occur frequently Mucosa is lined by absorptive cells; only a few goblet cells are present
Muscularis mucosae is very thin,
composed of smooth muscles, broken into segments by lymphatic nodules
There is often fatty tissue in the
submucosa.it contains blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic nodules invade it The muscularis externa is thinner than in the remainder of the large intestine
• The outer, longitudinal
smooth muscle layer of the muscularis externa does not aggregate into taenia coli.
• Serosa forms the outermost
coat of the appendix RECTUM Histologically the rectum resembles the colon except for the following features
The rectal mucosa contains fewer but deeper crypts
of lieberkuhn lined almost completely by goblet cells
The outer longitudinal layer of muscularis externa
does not show teniae coli
Outermost coat is not serosa but adventitia as it is
retroperitoneal ANAL CANAL The anal canal is the terminal part of the alimentary tract
Extends from the upper aspect of
pelvic diaphragm to anus
Upper part has longitudinal folds-
anal columns
Depressions between the anal
columns are the anal sinuses
Anal column are joined by transverse
mucosal fold known as anal valves ANAL CANAL 3 zones according to character of anal lining
Colorectal zone
Anal transitional zone
Squamous zone MUCOSA
•Above anal valves----simple
columnar epithelium
•Below anal valves----straitified
squamous non keratinized epithelium MUCOSA • Lamina propria contains crypts of lieberkuhn above the level of anal valves but below this level crypts are completely absent
• Muscularis mucosae becomes gradually indistinct and cannot be recognized in lower part SUBMUCOSA Consists of loosely arranged connective tissue
At the level of anal valves sub mucosa lodges six
simple branched tubular glands extending into muscularis externa
Anal glands present—abscess--- fistula
Contains a plexus of small viens—----pathological
dilatations of these veins constitutes hemorrhoids (piles) MUSCULARIS EXTERNA Consists of inner circular and outer longitudinal layer of smooth muscle
At the level of anal columns the
inner circular layer becomes thickened to form internal anal sphincter
The external anal sphincter consists
of skeletal muscles that belongs to the musculature of pelvic floor Mucosa of the recto—anal junction. The simple columnar epithelium with tubular glands that lines the rectum (left side) changes abruptly to stratified squamous epithelium in the anal canal (right side), as seen in this longitudinal section. The connective tissue of the lamina propria is seen to contain many free lymphocytes REFERENCES Text And Atlas Of Histology By MICHAEL H. ROSS 6th Edition Basic Histology text and atlas Luiz Carlos Junqueira 12th Edition Grays Anatomy 37th edition Google search results for images
