Epithelial Tissue and Glands

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Basic Tissues strand of Histology and embryology. The resources start with how epithelium is built and sorted, then move to its specialized surfaces and the glands it forms.

• Classification: simple, stratified and pseudostratified layers, with squamous, cuboidal and columnar cell shapes.
• Specializations and junctions: tight junctions, desmosomes, gap junctions, cilia and microvilli.
• Glands: exocrine and endocrine glands, unicellular and multicellular types, secretory and ductal portions.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map on the classification of epithelial tissues. It lays out covering and lining epithelia and the simple and stratified types in one view. Next, open the mind map called Epithelium for keratinized and non-keratinized layers, ciliated and non-ciliated types.

Then move to the flashcard deck L1. Epithelium. It asks you to describe the forms of epithelial tissue, list general characteristics and name the types of simple epithelia.

Junctions and glands

Once classification feels familiar, open the mind map Epithelial Specializations. It separates apical and basal features and names each junction type. The flashcard deck on Epithelial Tissues covers exocrine and endocrine secretion alongside anchoring junctions.

For glands, the mind map called Glands splits them by where the product goes: to ducts or to the circulatory system. The Glands Flowchart gives another way to see the same split.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map and cover the branches you can recall.
2. Take a quiz such as Histology junctions quiz or Epithelial I to see what you missed.
3. Go back to the map for those branches.
4. Drill the gaps with a flashcard deck, such as the one titled What type of Epithelium? - Flashcards.

Some decks are built around lab images and lecture questions, so choose the ones that match how your course tests you. Teachers can pull a map or deck straight into a class session.

Next step

Pick one mind map, work through it, then try a quiz and see which branches need another look.