File:Gall bladder histology 005.gif: Difference between revisions

Human Gall Bladder Histology

Animated histology image of gall bladder wall. H&E

Anatomy

• Pear-shaped
• distensible sac (about 50ml volume)
• Attached to posterioinferior surface of liver
• Embryonic - foregut, forms from primitive bile duct
• leads to cystic duct
  • Liver -> hepatic duct
  • Gall bladder -> cystic duct
  • Common Bile duct

Macroscopic Mucosal features:

• Mucosa (epithelium + lamina propria)
  • Mucosal folds
  • Rokintansky-Aschoff sinuses
• Serosa/Adventitia (dense CT + visceral mesothelium)

Epithelium

• Columnar epithelium with microvilli (absorptive epithelium)
  • Epithelium lining the biliary system does not contain mucus-producing cells (few located in neck of gall bladder)
• Basement membrane (not basal lamina which forms part of basement membrane and only visible by EM)

Lamina Propria

• connective tissue
• collagen fibers and fibroblasts
• fenestrated capillaries and venules
• lymphocytes and plasma cells

Smooth Muscle Layer

• random orientation of smooth muscle cells (fibers)
• muscularis propria (or fibromuscular coat)^[1]
  • not like the rest of GIT smooth muscle organisation, which is divided into muscularis mucosa (inside submucosa), muscularis externa (circular and longitudinal)
  • various terminology used for this layer in different sources

Serosa/Adventitia

• Dense connective tissue layer covered with visceral mesothelium epithelial layer
  • Adventitia - where it is attached to the liver
  • Serosa - where it is free in the peritoneum
• Large blood vessels (arteries, veins)
• Obvious lymphatic vessels
• Autonomic nerve bundles
• Adipose tissue

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