Respiratory epithelium

Respiratory epithelium
Respiratory epithelium
	Illustration depicting the respiratory epithelium. Basal cells labelled as stem cells.
Details
System	Respiratory system
Identifiers
MeSH	D020545
TH	H3.05.00.0.00003
	Anatomical terms of microanatomy

Respiratory epithelium, or airway epithelium,^[1] is a type of ciliated columnar epithelium found lining most of the respiratory tract as respiratory mucosa,^[2] where it serves to moisten and protect the airways. It is not present in the vocal cords of the larynx, or the oropharynx and laryngopharynx, where instead the epithelium is stratified squamous.^[3] It also functions as a barrier to potential pathogens and foreign particles, preventing infection and tissue injury by the secretion of mucus and the action of mucociliary clearance.

^ Crystal, R (September 2008). "Airway epithelial cells: current concepts and challenges". Proc Am Thorac Soc. 15 (7): 772–777. doi:10.1513/pats.200805-041HR. PMC 5820806. PMID 18757316.
^ "Respiratory mucosa". meshb.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
^ Saladin, K (2012). Anatomy & physiology: the unity of form and function (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. pp. 857–859. ISBN 9780073378251.