ep·i·the·li·um ( p  -th  l-m)n. pl. ep·i·the·li·ums or ep·i·the·li·a (-l -) Membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells separated by very little intercellular substance and forming the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs. ep i·theli·al adj. |
epithelium [ˌɛpɪˈθiːlɪəm]
n pl -liums, -lia [-lɪə]
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) an animal tissue consisting of one or more layers of closely packed cells covering the external and internal surfaces of the body. The cells vary in structure according to their function, which may be protective, secretory, or absorptive
[New Latin, from epi- + Greek thēlē nipple]
epithelial adj
| epithelium (p-thl-m) Plural epithelia The thin, membranous tissue that lines most of the internal and external surfaces of an animal's body. Epithelium is composed of one or more layers of densely packed cells. In vertebrates, it lines the outer layer of the skin (epidermis), the surface of most body cavities, and the lumen of fluid-filled organs, such as the gut or intestine. epithelial adjective |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  epithelium - membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the bodyendothelium - an epithelium of mesoblastic origin; a thin layer of flattened cells that lines the inside of some body cavities mesothelium - epithelium originating in the embryonic mesoderm; lines the primordial body cavity neuroepithelium - epithelium associated with special sense organs and containing sensory nerve endings epithelial cell - one of the closely packed cells forming the epithelium animal tissue - the tissue in the bodies of animals decidua - the epithelial tissue of the endometrium |
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