A Histology Laboratory Reflection

Respiratory Vocabulary

Alveolar ducts - elongated airways that have almost no ducts, only alveoli as their peripheral boundary.

Alveolar Sacs - spaces surrounded by clusters of alveoli.

Ciliated cells - tall columnar cells with cilia that project into the mucus covering the surface of the epithelium

Goblet cells - synthesize and secrete mucus

Brush cells - a general name for cells in the respiratory tract that bear short, blunt microvilli

Small granules cells - resemble basal cells but contain secretory granules. These are endocrine cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system

Basal cells - stem cells from which the other cell types

Olfactory receptor cells - are bipolar olfactory neurons that span the thickness of the epithelium and enter the central nervous system

Supporting or sustentacular cells - columnar cells that are similar to neuroglia cells and provide mechanical and metabolic support to the olfactory receptor cells. They synthesize and secrete odorant binding.