Enterocytes, Epithelial Renewal

From WikiVet English
Revision as of 12:56, 7 September 2010 by Bara (talk | contribs) (Text replace - "[[Small Intestine - Anatomy & Physiology|" to "[[Small Intestine Overview - Anatomy & Physiology|")

(diff) ← Older revision | Approved revision (diff) | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Jump to navigation Jump to search
  • Enterocytes are usually shed after 2-8 days.
  • To replace enterocytes. epithelial progenitor cells in the crypts of the small intestine continually divide.
    • New epithelial cells move up towards the surface (i.e. the tip of the villus).
    • As cells move up, they differentiate and lose the ability to divide.
  • When epithelial cells are lost (rather than shed), the damage is repaired.
    • Minor loss results in the lateral migration of adjacent cells.
      • Repair within minutes.
    • More major loss results in contraction of the villus, and cells migrate across intercrypt surface.


  • Epithelial renewal is in a state of dynamic equilibrium.
    • Enterocyte production in crypts = shedding from villus tip into lumen.
  • Disruption of this equilibrium by any disease can cause lesions of the mucosa and villi.
    • E.g. villus atrophy.