Write an Essay Comparing the Structural and Functional Specialisation of Epithelial Cells Found in the Epidermis of the Skin and Lining the Small Intestine (1000 – 1500 Words Including Diagrams).

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Write an essay comparing the structural and functional specialisation of epithelial cells found in the epidermis of the skin and lining the small intestine (1000 – 1500 words including diagrams). Plan Introduction Definition of epithelial cells Briefly explain the different types of epithelial cells Explain the function of intestinal epithelial cells Compare function of epidermis epithelial cells to intestinal epithelial cells Link structure to function of epithelial cells Explain the structure of intestinal epithelial cells Compare structure of epidermis epithelial cells to intestinal epithelial cells Conclusion Bibliography Essay Epithelial cells are cells which form the tissue covering an organ, either on its inside or on its outside. Substances which pass into and out of the body, the products of digestion, oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide must pass through epithelial cells. Not surprisingly, these cells are often specialised for exchange, such as the intestinal epithelial cells which will be explained in detail later. Since the epithelial cells act as lining cells, they are very prone to damage and need constant replacement (see Indge (2003) p.99), especially the epidermic epithelial cells of the skin which will be explained in detail later. Epithelial cells are classified primarily according to the number of cell layers and the shape of the superficial cells. There are two major types of epithelium based on the number of cell layers in each type; simple epithelium (a single layer of cells) and stratified epithelium (more than one layer) (see Diagram 1 and Seeley, Stephens & Tate (2006) p.107). There are three types of epithelium based on the shape of the epithelial cells; squamous cells (flat or scale-like), cubiodal cells (cube shaped), and columnar cells (that are taller than they are wide) (see Diagram 1 & Seeley,

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