Digestive System

Glands

Department of Histology
Medical Faculty USU
2013

Glands

Salivary Glands
Liver
Gall Bladder
Pancreas

Salivary Glands

Major salivary glands

Sublingual glands
Submandibular glands
Parotid glans

Regions of salivary glands

Secretory portions
Duct portions

Secretory Portions

Serous cells

Truncated pyramids; single, round, basally located nuclei

Well developed RER, Golgi complex, basal mitochondria,

abundant apically situated secretory granules rich in ptyalin

(amilase)
Basal aspects o/t lateral cell membranes form tight junctions
Intercellular canaliculi
Interdigitation process

Mucous cells

Truncated pyramids; single, flattened, basally located nuclei

Less extensive RER, fewer mitochondria but greater

Golgi complex >> carbohydrate component, abundant

apically situated secretory granules

Myoepithelial cells (basket cells)

Share the basal laminae o/t acinar cells

Envelop acinus and intercalated ducts
Cytoplasmic process are rich in actin and myosin resemle

smooth muscle contract facilitating release o/t secretory

product

Mucous Cell
Serous Cell

Duct Portions

Secretory potions intercalated ducts striated ducts

intralobular ducts interlobular ducts intralobar ducts
interlobar ducts terminal (principal) duct
Intercalated ducts: simple cuboidal ep + myoepithelial cell
Striated duct:
simple cuboidal to low columnar ep
Basolateral membrane are highly folded, subdividing into

longitudinal compartment that occupied by elongated

mitochondria
Na ATPase pumps Na out o/t cell into CT conserving
sodium

Salivon

functional unit of a salivary gland

Acinus + intercalated duct + striated duct

Secretory activity is stimulated via parasympathetic and

sympathetic innervation

Sublingual glands

The gland is composed of mucous tubular

secretory units capped by serous serous
demilunes.
Produced mixed, but mostly mucous,
saliva
EM: apical accumulations of secretory
vesicles
Scant CT, and its duct system doesnt
form terminal duct, Instead, several ducts
open into the floor o/t mouth and into the
duct of the submandibular gland

Sublingual Glands

A. EM of mucous acini of the

Sublingual Gland. C, capillary;
I, Intercalated Duct; L, lumen
of Acinus; arrows,
Myoepithelial Cell . 1,850 X
Figure B. Mixed acini of same
Sublingual Gland shown in
Figure A. C, capillary; M,
Mucous Cells; Mi,
Mitochondria; S, serous
demilune; SD, Secretory Duct.
1,000 X
C. EM of serous Acinus
Sublingual Gland. C, capillary;
G, Golgi Complex; L, lumen;
N, nerve; Nu, Nucleus; RER,
rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
; V, secretory vesicles. 5,200
X

Submandibular Glands

Produces mixed, but mostly serous, saliva

Electron-dense core product (secretory granules)
of unknown composition
The number of serous demilunes is limited.
The striated ducts of the submandibular gland
are much longer than those of parotid or
sublingual gland display many cross
sectional profiles of striated duct
(characteristic feature)
CT capsule o/t submandibular gland is extensive
and forms abundant septa, which subdivide the
gland into lobe and lobules.

Submandibular glands

Parotid Glands

Produced serous saliva ptyalin

Electron-dense core product (secretory
granules) of unknown composition.
CT capsule forms numerous septa
subdivide the gland into lobes and
lobules

Parotid Glands

Liver

Has both exocrine (bile) and endocrine functions

(by hepatocytes)
Is enveloped by peritoneum
Simple squamous epithelium
Dense irregular CT capsule (Glissons capsule)

Hepatocytes are arranged in hexagon-shaped

lobules (classical lobules)
In human, boundaries of the classical lobules can only

be approximated
Longitudinal axis is occupied by central vein
Portal areas (triads): where 3 classical lobules are in
contact each other
CT elements are increased; hepatic artery, portal vein;
interlobular bile ducts; lymph vessels

Classic Lobules

3 Concepts of Liver lobules

Classical liver lobules

Blood flows from the periphery to the center of the

lobule into the central vein

Bile enters into bile canaliculi and flows to the
periphery of the lobule to the interlobular bile ducts of
the portal areas

Portal lobules

Concept: exocrine secretion flows to central lumen of

acinus
Triangular region whose center is the portal area and
whose periphery is bounded by imaginary straight line
connecting the three surrounding central veins that
form the three apices of the triangle

Hepatic acinus (acinus of Rappaport)

Based on blood flow from distributing arterioles on

the order in which hepatocytes degenerate subsequent

to toxic or hypoxic insults
3 concentric regions of hepatic parenchyma

Concepts of Liver Lobules

Hepatic Sinusoids and

Perisinusoidal Space of Disse

Hepatic sinusoids: the space between the

plates of hepatocytes
Sinusoidal lining cells (endothel)
Fenestrated 0.5 m
Macrophage Kupfer Cells

Endothels are separated from hepatocytes

by perisinusoidal space (Space of Disse)

Collagen III; No basal lamina

Nonmyelinated nerve fibers
Fat storing cells (Ito Cells/Stellate cells)
Pit cells NK cells

fenestra

sinusoid

Ito Cell

Space of Disse

Kupfer Cells

Hepatic Duct

Bile canaliculi labyrinthine tunnels

cholangioles canals of Hering
interlobular bile ducts right and left
hepatic duct
Cholangioles
At the periphery of classic lobules
Short tubules composed of a combination

of hepatocytes, low cuboidal cells, and

occasional oval cells

Canals of Hering

Slender branches of interlobular bile ducts

Composed of low cuboidal cells and some

ovoid cells

Cuboidal cells secrete a bicarbonaterich fluid under influenced of hormon

secretin of DNES cells

Hepatocytes

2 domains: lateral and sinusoidal

Lateral domains

Form bile canaliculi

Fascia occludentes prevent leakage of bile from bile

canaliculi
Short, blunt microvili project into bile canaliculi
(exocrine secretion)
High levels of Na-K ATPase and adenylate cyclase
Isolated gap junctions

Sinusoidal domains

Microvili projects into space of Disse

Endocrine secretion

Bile Canaliculi

Gall Bladder

Mucosa

Empty gallbladder is highly folded into tall, parallel ridges;

bile distended gallbladder reduces the plications to a few

short folds smooth mucosa
Simple columnar epithelium
Clear cells
Brush cells

Lamina propria is a vascularized loose CT

Simple tubuloalveolar glands

Smooth muscles are oriented oblique and longitudinal

Adventitia
Glissons capsule of Liver
peritoneum

Histophysiology

Store, concentrate, and release bile

Epithelium
Luminal surface display short microvili

coated by a thin layer of glycocalyx

Supranuclear: secretory granules
containing mucinogen
Basal region is rich in mitochondria

Pancreas

Produced exocrine and endocrine

secretions
CT capsule forms septa sudivide the
gland into lobules

Exocrine Pancreas

Tubuloacinar gland
40 50 acinal cells form a round to oval acinus
3 4 centroaciner cells occupied acinar lumen beginning of the
duct system
Acinar cell

Truncated pyramid; round nucleus; basally located; basophilic

cytoplasm
Apex, facing the lumen, is filled with zymogen granules. Number of
secretory granules diminished after meal.
Basal cell membranes have receptors for cholecystokinin and
acethylcholine

The Golgi complex varies in size in inverse relation to the

zymogen granule concentration

Smaller when zymogen granules are numerous

Larger after the granules release their content

Zymogen granules may release their contents individually or

several granules may fuse each other, forming a channel to the
lumen

Exocrine Pancreas

Duct System
Centroacinar cells of terminus
intercalated duct intralobular ducts
interlobular ducts main pancreatic
duct common bile duct papilla of
Vater
Centroacinar cells: pale, simple low
cuboidal ep

Endocrine Pancreas

Islet of Langerhans
Richly vascularized spherical conglomeration of

+ 300 cells

Cells: , , , PP, G
Cannot be differentiated by routine examination

IHC, EM

Each islet is surrounded by reticular fibers,

which also enter the islet to encircle the
capillaries that pervade it.

Thank You
See you in mid-term exam