SUMPh Nicolae Testemitanu

Histology, Cytology and Embryology Department

ALIMENTARY CANAL
Assistant Professor, PhD
Mazuru Vitalie

Alimentary Canal
Continuation of the oral cavity
Tubular portion of the digestive system
Length 9m
Components: esophagus, stomach,
small and large intestine
The wall consists of 4 tunics:
mucosa
submucosa
muscularis
adventitia or serosa (if covered by peritoneum)
the food is churned, liquefied, digested
nutritionally elements and water are absorbed
wastes and indigestible components are eliminated
originates from primitive intestine, mesenchyme and
neural crests

Alimentary Canal
Comprises 4 concentric tunics
Mucosa (3 layers)
Submucosa
Muscularis (2 layers except stomach)
Tunica Externa (adventitia or serosa)
Are similar throughout the
length of AC, but display
regional peculiarities.
Main variations occur in Mucosa, being
associated to functional specializations.

Basic plan of esophagus structure

Epithelium of Mucosa

Stratified squamous
non-keratinizes

Lamina propria glands

Cardial glands

Submucosa glands

Proper esophageal
glands

Muscularis externa

Striated skeletal muscle

and smooth muscle
tissues

Tunica externa

Adventitia and serosa

Basic plan of stomach structure

Epithelium of Mucosa

Simple columnar
glandular

Lamina propria glands

Stomach glands
specific for each
topographic area

Submucosa glands

No glands

Muscularis externa

3 layers
Smooth muscle tissue

Tunica externa

Serosa

Basic plan of duodenum structure

Intestinal villi
Epithelium of Mucosa

Simple columnar

Lamina propria glands

Intestinal glands
(Liberkhn)

Submucosa glands

Duodenal glands
(Brnner) !!!

Muscularis externa

2 layers
Smooth muscle tissue

Tunica externa

Adventitia except
anterior face where is
covered by serosa

Mucosa forms the elongations that

project into the lumen villi
Note villi are specific only for SI

Basic plan of jejunum structure

Epithelium of Mucosa

Simple columnar

Lamina propria glands Intestinal glands

(Liberkhn)
Submucosa glands

No glands

Muscularis externa

2 layers
Smooth muscle tissue

Tunica externa

Serosa

Basic plan of ileum structure

Epithelium of Mucosa Simple columnar

Lamina propria
glands

Intestinal glands
(Liberkhn)

Submucosa glands

No glands

Submucosa lymphoid
tissue

Payers Patches

Muscularis externa

2 layers
Smooth muscle tissue

Tunica externa

Serosa
Payers Patches

Basic plan of large intestine structure

Epithelium of Mucosa

Simple columnar

Lamina propria glands

Intestinal glands
(Liberkhn)

Submucosa glands

No glands

Muscularis externa

2 layers
Smooth muscle tissue

Tunica externa

Serosa

Esophagus
Muscular tube organ
Takes food from the pharynx to the
stomach
25 cm in length
Located within 2 body cavities (chest
and abdominal cavity)
No digestion occurs here

Peristalsis propels the food only in

one direction esophagus
stomach
One direction movement is allowed
by LES. If it doesnt close totally the
passage => GERD (heartburn,
esophagus of Barrett, carcinoma)

The wall has classical

structure, where all the tunics
could be easily seen.

Esophageal mucosa
E stratified squamous
non-keratinized epithelium

LPM lamina propria mucosae

(loose connective tissue)

LPM
LMM lamina muscularis mucosae
(smooth muscle tissue)

LMM

Epithelium of esophageal mucosa

Epithelium of esophageal mucosa

T lymphocytes (CD3+)

In addition to epithelial cells,

within the epithelium there
are:
Intraepithelial lymph cells
Argyrophilic positive
endocrine cells
Melanocytes
Mast cells
Macrophages (CD68+
cells)
Langerhans cells
Merkel cells

B lymphocytes
Squiqqle cell (arrowed)

Langerhans cell (S-100+)

LPM and LMM

LPM
Loose connective tissue
T lymphocytes (both helper and suppressor)
B lymphocytes (IgA, IgG, IgM producing
PlC)
Finger-like extensions (papilla that could
extend 2/3 of epithelial depth)
Esophageal cardiac-type glands

LMM
smooth muscle tissue
Longitudinal arrangement
The thickest lamina of alimentary canal

ECTG

LMM

Esophageal submucosa
LCT that forms
longitudinal folds.

Blood vessels plexus

Meissners plexus
ICC (Interstital Cells of Cajal)

Esophageal submucosa
Esophageal glands
Compound branched mixt
Along the entire length of E
Most numerous in initial and
terminal portions of E
Are considered to be the
continuation of minor
salivary glands of the
oropharynx
Produce acid mucin that
lubricate the mucosa

Esophageal submucosa
Esophageal glands
Secretory portions could
have serous component
Covered by myoepithelial
cells (ectodermal origin)
Duct open onto the surface
of the mucosal epithelium
Are lined by stratified
squamous epithelium

Esophageal muscularis externa

2 layers (inner circular;
outer longitudinal)
Superios 1/3 skeletal
muscle; intermediate 1/3
mixture of sk and sm
muscles; inferior 1/3
smooth muscle tissue
Myenteric nerve plexus of
Auerbach

Esophageal tunica externa

Upper diaphragmatic
region adventitia

Lower diaphragmatic
region - serosa

Stomach
Most dilated part of AC
Volume at maximum distension
1500 ml
Churns the bolus into viscous
liquid chyme
Mechanical function
Digestive function
HCl, pepsin, gastric lipase
Secretory
hormones with paracrine activity
Absorption
Water, alcohol
Excretory (renal failure)

Stomach mucosa
Topographically consists of 4
regions.
Histological 3 regions
Cardiac
Fundic (comprises fundus and the
body)
Pyloric
Gastric glands of these regions
display some specifications.

Stomach mucosa
Gross appearance of gastric
mucosa is given by:
1. Folds or Rugae (M+SM)
longitudinal
transverse in antrum

Gastric Rugae. Endoscpic view.

2. Mamillated areas
Accommodate the expansion and the
filling of the stomach
Mammilated areas

Stomach mucosa
3. Gastric pits (foveolae)
Lined by the same epithelium
with the mucosal surface
5-7 glands open in the bottom
of 1 pit.
Increase the lining surface of
Stomach.

Lining epithelium of the stomach

Simple columnar glandular

Develops from entoderm
Lines the surface and the pits
Produces mucus

Functions of mucus
Mechanic protection
Antiacidic protection
bicarbonate and K+ concentration
Increases the blood flow
PGE2

Gastric glands

Located in LPM
Simple tubular branched
Consists of base, neck, istmus
Cellular heterogeneity (4-5
types)
Cell population differs
depending on the gastric
region
Produce gastric juice (2 l/day)

Fundic glands
Most numerous
The longest and the least
branched
Produce acidic secrete
Consists of 5 cell types

Cell composition of fundic gland

1. Undifferentiated Adult Stem
Cells istmus (regeneration)
2. Mucous neck cells (soluble
mucous)
3. Parietal cells HCl and
intrinsic antianemic factor of
Castle
4. Chief cells pepsinogen
5. Enteroendocrine cells
hormones with local action

Parietal (oxyntic) cells

The largest cells
Predominant location the neck
Triangular shape with the apex
oriented to the lumen of the gland
Spherical, centrally located nucleus
Intracellular canaliculli
Abundant amount of mitochondria
Red color in routine staining

Parietal (oxyntic) cells

Carbonic anhydrase
H2CO3 H+ + HCO3H+/K+ ATPase proton pump
K+/Cl- uniporter channels

Parietal (oxyntic) cells

Intrinsic factor of Castle
Responsible for VitB12
absorption in the ileum.
In insufficiency of VitB12 will
appear pernicious anemia

Chief cells
Typical protein-secreting
cell (rER, GA, secretory
inclusions)
Are mostly located in the
base of the gland
Are basophilic
Pepsinogen converted to
pepsin by HCl (endopeptidase)
Gastric lipase

Enteroendocrine cells
Closed EEC
No contact with lumen
Open EEC
Thin cytoplasmic extension
with microvilli exposed to
the gland lumen
(chemoreceptor)
Open EEC

Enteroendocrine cells
Cell

Hormone

Biological effect

Gastrine

Stimulates secretion of Parietal and Chief cells

Somatostatine

Inhibits parietal secretion and gastric motility

Secretine

Stimulates pancreatic and bile secretion

EC

Serotonine, Endorfine

Stimulates secretion and motility of the stomach

ECL

Histamine

Increases Parietal cells secretion

Cholecystokinine

Inhibits secretion and motility of the stomach

Gastric Inhibitory
peptide

Inhibits HCL production

Enteroglucagon

Stimulates glycogen catabolism

D1

VIP

Increases GI blood circulation

Mucosa in Cardia and Pylorus

No parietal cells!!!
Cardiac glands
Tortuous, the least branched,
most of the cells mucus secreting
The shortest length of the gastric pits
Pyloric glands
In the pyloric antrum
The most branched and coiled
The longest gastric pits
Produce mucus similar to lining EC

LPM and LMM

LPM
Thin meshwork of reticulin and collagen.
Has the supporting role for the glandular
apparatus of Mucosa.

LMM
Thin bundles of smooth muscle cells
arranged into 2 layers (circular and
longitudinal)

1
2
1. LPM
2. LMM

Gastric Submucosa
Dense connective tissue
No glands
Well-developed blood
supply and lymphatic
drainage system
Meissners nerve plexus

SM

Gastric Muscularis Externa

3 layers arranged randomly
that makes difficult to discern
them
Smooth muscle tissue
Mixing chyme and force
partially digested content to D
In GDJ circular layer forms
pyloric sphincter
Auerbachs nerve plexus

ME

Small intestine
The longest portion of AC
4 tunics
Gross appearance is given by:

circular folds
villi
Intestinal crypts (Liberkhn glands)

Epithelium of small intesine mucosa

Villi
1. Absorptive (enterocytes)
2. Goblet cells (mucus-secreting)

Crypts
1. Absorptive (enterocytes)
2. Goblet cells (mucus-secreting)
3. EEC
4. Stem cells
5. Paneth cells

Enterocytes
Many in number
Columnar
Nucleus: ovalary,
eucromatic, basaly
located
Acidophilic cytoplasm,
contains peptidases,
disacharids,
glycoporteines which
activate pancreatic
enzymes
Apicaly: microvili

Microvili in apical
pole
of enterocytes

Goblet Cells
Number increases in
lowest parts of
intestine
Many in ileon
Nucleus round
Pale cytoplasm
Mucus vacuoles

Paneth Cells
In the base of the
glands
Pyramidal shape
Bazaly located
nucleus
Basophilic cytoplasm
Apicaly: acidofilic
granules

Functions of Paneth cells

Immune defense
Specific granules
GAG
Lysocim
TNF

Transport of IgA
Bacteria phagocytosis
Long period of life
Do not migrate towards
vili

Regeneration of mucosal epithelium

General plan of small intestine structure

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis externa
Serosa

Duodenum

Jejunum

Ileum

Large intestine

4 tunics
No villi
epithelium of mucosa
simple columnar
Muscularis externa (outer
layer gathered in 3 taeniae coli)

Large Intestine

Functions:
Water and microelements
absorption
Fecal mass formation
Mucus production
Secretion of fat-soluble
vitamins