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Colonic goblet cell
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The goblet cell of the colon is one of the cells of the epithelium, the layer that lines the large intestine on the inside, and its job is to secrete. What it makes and releases are mucins, the molecules that mucus is built from.
That mucus forms a barrier, a layer that sits on top of the surface and comes between it and whatever passes by. That same layer plays a second role: it lubricates, leaving the surface slippery, like a thin film of grease on a smooth wall.
In brief
A colonic goblet cell is a secretory epithelial cell found in the mucosa of the colon.
The cell secretes mucins, the molecules that form a mucus barrier. That barrier protects and lubricates the surface.
Sources (2)
- NCBI Bookshelf, National Library of MedicineHistology, Goblet CellsPublished
- PubMed Central; chapter by Peter GreavesDigestive SystemPublished
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