Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store
seo-qna
SearchIcon
banner

What is the function of the simple columnar epithelium?

Answer
VerifiedVerified
440.4k+ views
like imagedislike image
Hint: Along with connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue, the epithelium is one of the four basic types of animal tissue. It is a thin, continuous layer of cells that serves as a protective layer. The outer surfaces of organs and blood vessels throughout the body, as well as the inner surfaces of cavities in many internal organs, are lined with epithelial tissues. The epidermis, the skin's outermost layer, is one example.

Complete answer:
Epithelial cells are classified into three types: squamous, columnar, and cuboidal. These can be arranged in a single layer of cells as simple epithelium, which can be squamous, columnar, or cuboidal, or in layers of two or more cells deep as stratified (layered), or compound, which can also be squamous, columnar, or cuboidal.

A simple columnar epithelium is a single layer of columnar cells attached to the basement membrane and containing oval-shaped nuclei in the basal region. A simple columnar epithelium lines the majority of the digestive tract organs in humans, including the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

The primary functions of the simple columnar epithelium are secretion, excretion, and absorption. The ciliated type is found in the bronchi, uterine tubes, uterus, and a portion of the spinal cord. The beating of their cilia allows these epithelia to move mucus or other substances.

Note: Glandular Goblet cells secrete mucins to form mucin in Simple Columnar Epithelium. The rest of the cell is made up of cytoplasm with membrane-bound secretory granules that secrete mucin and are found near the cell's apical surface.