Multilayered Stratified Nonkeratinizing Squamous Epithelium-Cornea

Vertical section through the human cornea with Bowman membrane 1 and substantia propria corneae 2 . The anterior corneal epithelium is a typical multilayered stratified nonkeratinizing squamous epithelium 3.  It consists of only a few epithelial cell layers. Several epithelial cells are densely layered one over the other. The resulting layers contain basal cells, intermediary cells or superficial cells, respectively. The basal layer consists of prismatic cells; only these are in contact with the Bowman membrane 1 . From the basal membrane toward the free surface, the cells are increasingly flattened and are extremely flat at the surface, about 5 μm thick and up to 50 μm long. The nuclei in these flat surface cells are long and oriented parallel to the surface.

1 Bowman membrane

2 Substantia propria corneae (the crevices are technical artifacts)

3 Multilayered stratified nonkeratinizing squamous epithelium

Stain: hematoxylin-eosin; magnification: × 400

References

Kuehnel, W.(2003). Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4^th edition . Institute of Anatomy Universitätzu Luebeck Luebeck, Germany . Thieme Stuttgar t · New York .