Pseudostratified columnar epithelium with cilia
(40x objective lens)
This section from the nasal epithelium of a monkey shows the ciliated
pseudostratified columnar epithelium that lines the nasal passages. The nuclei
of the epithelial cells are located at several layers, but they do not form
the clearly dilineated rows of nuclei characteristic of truly stratified epithelia.
Note that the epithelium contains mucous-secreting goblet
cells, with bulging, largely unstained apices, as well as the normally
stained cells that make up the rest of the epithelium. Note also that the
surface of the epithelium is covered with cilia,
which are located at the apices of the surface, non-goblet cells. The dark
line at the base of the cilia marks the location of the basal bodies
of the cilia.
