Library · Histology
Appendix histology
Make it clearer
The wall of the appendix is made of four regions laid one on top of another, and they are named going from the lumen, the hollow space at the center of the tube, outward: first the mucosa, the inner lining; then the submucosa, the layer that runs beneath that lining; next the muscularis propria, the muscle layer; and finally the serosa, the outermost covering. It is the order of the layers of a coat, counted starting with the lining that touches your skin and ending with the fabric on the outside.
In two of those layers you find prominent lymphoid follicles, which are well-defined clusters of defense tissue. They show up in the lamina propria, the supporting tissue that sits just under the lining, and in the submucosa. That abundance of lymphoid tissue is what lets you tell the appendix apart from an ordinary segment of colon when you look at the wall.
In brief
The appendiceal wall is made up of the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and serosa. Together, these layers form its basic structure from the lumen outward.
Prominent lymphoid follicles lie in the lamina propria and submucosa. This abundance of lymphoid tissue helps distinguish the appendix from the ordinary colon.
In a tissue section, prominent lymphoid follicles stand out within the wall and help distinguish appendix from ordinary colon.
Sources (2)
- StatPearls, NCBI BookshelfAnatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: AppendixPublished
- Clinical & Experimental Immunology via PubMed CentralThe immunology of the vermiform appendix: a review of the literaturePublished
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Updated