Mucous Gland Acinus

Dependent on the morphology of the acini and the type of secretory materials from exocrine glands, there are serous glands, mucous glands  and mixed glands. Mucous end pieces are tubules with relative wide lumina. Their nuclei 1 are flattened. They are locate d at the cell border or in the basal space. In contrast to serous acini, the cell borders of mucous acini  can be stained and made clearly visible. The cytoplasm has a honeycomb structure. Mucous gland cells possess terminal bars 2 . There are no intercellular secretory canaliculi . This figure displays a typical mucous end piece from the mixed glands of the uvula of the soft palate.

1 Flattened nucleus

2 Terminal bar (complex)

3 Connective tissue of the uvula

Stain: azan; 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 .