Simple Epithelial Tissue
Cells are arranged in rows or sheets one cell thick.
Read the descriptions of the different simple epithelia below and select the best choice using all the clues you can find.
simple squamous epithelium
Cells resemble tiles, or pancakes, or fried eggs.
Nuclei tend to look flattened.
(first drawing = cells cut in half) Cells are short (not tall), and they are very wide.
(second drawing = cells from above) Cells look round, or many-sided, and fairly large.
simple cuboidal epithelium
Cells resemble cubes or squares.
Nuclei tend to be roundish.
Cells are approximately equally tall and wide.
simple columnar epithelium
Cells resemble rectangles or columns.
Nuclei tend to be oval.
Nuclei tend to be at about the same height in adjacent cells.
Cells are very tall and narrow.
pseudostratified columnar epithelium
Cells resemble rectangles or columns.
Nuclei tend to vary in shape and are located at very different heights in adjacent cells.
(this gives the deceptive appearance of multiple layers)
Cells are very tall and narrow.
You can often see one nucleus partially hidden behind another nucleus.
