Slide 17. Stratified squamous epithelium of the skin, H&E
Covers the histology of the skin epidermis as stratified squamous keratinised epithelium, with the H&E staining colours of nuclei, keratin and keratohyalin granules. Walks through the layers from the basal row with melanocytes, through the spinous and granular layers, to the anucleate pink corneum, and notes the dermal papillae below. It also contrasts the skin with the oesophagus, whose surface cells keep their nuclei, and mentions the keratinised gingival and hard palate mucosa.
Inside: 1 section · 1 min
Topic 106 of 127 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Cytology (Dental Medicine, Year 1). The free AceMed note covers it in 1 section, about 99 words (1 min of reading).
In this note
Introduction
Introduction
The epidermis is stratified squamous keratinized epithelium. The masticatory mucosa of the gingiva and hard palate is keratinized too.
Stain
H&E: nuclei blue-purple, keratin pink, keratohyalin granules dark purple.
How to recognise it
Stratum basale: one row of columnar cells, with pale melanocytes among them.
Stratum spinosum: polygonal cells joined by "spines" (desmosomes).
Stratum granulosum: flattened cells with dark keratohyalin granules.
Stratum corneum: pink layers of flat, dead cells without nuclei.
Dermal papillae and the connective tissue of the dermis below.
Don't confuse it with: the esophagus, whose surface cells keep their nuclei.
Theory: topic 38 (stratified surface epithelia).
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