Which epithelial cell type is tall and cylindrical, with height greater than width?

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Multiple Choice

Which epithelial cell type is tall and cylindrical, with height greater than width?

Explanation:
Columnar epithelium is made up of tall, cylindrical cells whose height is greater than their width. This shape allows the cells to be elongated, with nuclei typically toward the base, forming a lining that’s well suited for absorption and secretion. You’ll commonly find columnar cells lining the digestive tract and glandular ducts, where they can have microvilli to increase surface area for absorption or even cilia in certain regions to move mucus. The other shapes don’t match the description: squamous cells are flat and thin, cuboidal cells are roughly cube-shaped with height about equal to width, and pseudostratified epithelium appears layered because nuclei lie at different levels even though all cells touch the basement membrane.

Columnar epithelium is made up of tall, cylindrical cells whose height is greater than their width. This shape allows the cells to be elongated, with nuclei typically toward the base, forming a lining that’s well suited for absorption and secretion. You’ll commonly find columnar cells lining the digestive tract and glandular ducts, where they can have microvilli to increase surface area for absorption or even cilia in certain regions to move mucus.

The other shapes don’t match the description: squamous cells are flat and thin, cuboidal cells are roughly cube-shaped with height about equal to width, and pseudostratified epithelium appears layered because nuclei lie at different levels even though all cells touch the basement membrane.

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