epithelium

American  

[ep-uh-thee-lee-uhm] / ˌɛp əˈθi li əm /

noun

Biology.

• epitheliums,
  plural
• epithelia
  plural

1. any plant or animal tissue that covers a surface or lines a cavity, and that also performs any of various secretory, transporting, or regulatory functions.

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epithelium British  

/ ˌɛpɪˈθiːlɪəm /

noun

1. 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

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epithelium Scientific  

/ ĕp′ə-thē′lē-əm /

• epithelia
  plural

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• epithelial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• epithelia
  plural
• epitheliums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of epithelium

First recorded in 1740–50; from New Latin, from Greek epi- epi- ( def. ) + thēl(ḗ) “teat” + New Latin -ium -ium ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does epithelium compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• endothelium vs. epithelium

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

epithelium epithelia epitheliums

They analysed DNA from gut epithelium cells from 18 adult female hyenas and 24 cubs with known social status from three clans in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 28, 2024

Researchers found BA.2.86 was more efficient at infecting a cell line derived from the human lower airway epithelium in the lung.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 8, 2024

The inhaled air is trapped on the olfactory epithelium and/or the Jacobson’s organ, giving kitties an extra chance to detect scent molecules.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 2, 2024

Many tiny hair-like cilia protrude from the olfactory receptor cell’s dendrite and into the mucus covering the surface of the olfactory epithelium.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Clearly I did, because here I am at his kitchen table with the fragrance of an omelet smothered in some kind of tomatoey-oniony-garlicky sauce tickling my olfactory epithelium.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

"The squamous epithelia of the esophagus and the columnar epithelia of the stomach meet at the gastroesophageal junction," explains Dr. Naveen Kumar Nirchal, one of the first authors of the study.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024

"Our results therefore suggest that, while protecting epithelia, mucus constitutes a breeding ground for biofilms."

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023

"Our results therefore suggest that, while protecting epithelia, mucus constitutes a breeding ground for biofilms," they explain.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023

Bloodhounds were bred to have a better sense of smell, and thus have more olfactory receptors and larger olfactory epithelia.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

There may even be odorants that fire off receptors in our olfactory epithelia without our being conscious of smell, including signals exchanged involuntarily between human beings.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Inwardly he was lined with cast-off epitheliums, as outwardly he was clad in the painter's discarded coats.

From The Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Cather, Willa Sibert