HISTOLOGY OF ORAL CAVITY
AND ESOPHAGUS
Structures in oral cavity
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Lip
Tongue
Palate salivary glands
Tooth
Esophagus
ORAL CAVITY
1. Vestibule or buccal cavity: bounded by lips and cheeks
on the outside and the teeth and gums inside
2. Oral cavity proper: extends from behind the teeth and
gums to the throat
three types of mucosa
a-lining mucosa: stratified squamous
epithelium.submucosa present only in certain regions
b-masticatory mucosa of gingiva and hard palate
c- specialized mucosa : dorsal surface of the tongue
LIP
The lips consist of three regions
1. Cutaneous region, covered by thin skin-keratinized str.
Squam.epith.with hair follicles , sebaceous and sweat glands
2. The red region, str.squam.epith. Supported by tall papilla
containing blood vessels-red color
3. The oral mucosa region is continous with the mucosa of the
cheeks and gums,
cutaneous
The three regions of lip
Keratinized str squam epith.
Hhair follicle
cutaneous region
lip oral mucosa
Red region
tall papilla
Tonsils
Consists of lymphatic nodules that are clustered around the posterior opening of
the oral and nasal cavities
Tonsillar (Waldeyer’s ) ring
Palatine
Tubal tonsils posterior to the opening of the auditory tube
Pharyngeal tonsils (adenoid) roof of nasopharynx
Lingual tonsils base of the tongue
The dorsal surface is divided into an anterior two thirds and
a posterior one third by a V shaped depression-sulcus terminalis
Apex of V is the location foramen cecum
Filiform papilla
Fungiform papilla
Circumvallate papilla
Foliate papilla
P.Circumvallate
bitter taste
 P.Fungiform (Anterior tip)
Sweet taste
 P.Fungiform (behind tip
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and lateral)
Salty taste
 P.Filiformis
SALIVARY GLANDS
Parotis
pure serous
 Submandıbular gland
 Sublingual gland
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mıxed
mıxed
Connective tissue septa divides the glands
into lobules
 Acini form the secretory units
 Myoepithelial cells surround the acinar
cells
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SECRETORY PORTIONS
OF SALIVARY GLANDS
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SEROUS CELL
Protein and polysaccharide
secretion
Single, round, basally
located nucleus
Well-developed GER and
Golgi complex
basal mitochondria
Abundant secretory
granules rich in ptyalin
basal infoldings
interdigitating with those
of neighbouring cells
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MUCOUS CELL
Pyramidal in shape
 Flattened nucleus
 Fewer mitochondria
 Less extensive GER
and greater Golgi
complex
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Submandibular gland
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Sublingual gland
Duct system
Intercalated ducts
(low columnar or cuboidal)
 Striated ducts
Tall columnar epithelium)
 Interlobular ducts
(pseudostratified epith.)
 Main duct of the gland
(Ciliated epithelium)
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Excretory Ducts
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Small ducts: simple cuboidal
epithelium
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Larger diameter: stratified cuboidal or
pseudostratified columnar epithelium
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As the duct approaches the oral
epithelium, stratified squamous
epithelium may be found
PALATE
palate
Esophagus
trachea and esophagus
This is a normal esophagus with the usual white to tan smooth mucosa seen at the left. The
gastroesophageal junction (not an anatomic sphincter) is at the center, and the stomach is at the
right. The upper GI endoscopic view of the transition from tan squamous mucosa to pink columnar
mucosa is seen below.
esophagus
In the esophageal mucosa
- Esophageal epithelium is
non-keratinized stratified
squamous.
 Esophageal lamina
propria is less cellular
(fewer lymphocytes) than
that in the stomach and
intestine, presumably
because the protective
stratified squamous
epithelium is more
effective at keeping out
foreign antigens.
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◼Muscularis
externa of the
esophagus consists of the
standard inner circular and
outer longitudinal layers of
smooth muscle, with Auerbach's
plexus in between.
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Esophageal muscularis mucosae is
noticably thicker than that in the
stomach and intestine, and
includes only longitudinal muscle
fibers.
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Connective tissue of the submucosa is
typically more fibrous and less cellular
than that the lamina propria of the
mucosa. Esophageal submucosa
includes scattered esophageal and a
venous plexus).
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1 - tunica mucosa
2 - tunica submucosa
3 - tunica muscularis
propria
5 - epithelium of the
mucosa
6 - lamina propria of the
mucosa
9 - glands in the
submucosa
Tooth
Gingiva
and
mature
tooth
fetal rat (early) (developing tooth) (H&E)
BUD STAGE
EARLY BELL STAGE
CAP STAGE
LATE BELL STAGE
Enamel is the hardest component of the
human body, consisting of %96 calcium
hydroxyapatite and 2-3 % organic
material including very few proteins and
no collagen
Dentin is a calcified tissue harder than bone
consisting %70 hydroxyapatite. Organic
matrix contains type I collagen and
proteoglycans secreted from the apical ends
of odontoblasts.
The periodontal ligament, commonly abbreviated as the PDL, is a group of
specialized connective tissue fibers that essentially attach a tooth to the alveolar
bone within which it sits. It inserts into root cementum one side and onto alveolar
bone on the other.
Periodontal ligament
mature tooth, Sharpey's fibers