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Endothelial cell
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The endothelial cell is the cell that makes up the endothelium, the lining that coats blood vessels on the inside. It is a simple squamous epithelium, meaning a single layer of flattened cells, and it covers the tunica intima, the innermost layer of the vessel wall. That lining is continuous throughout the vascular system, even inside the chambers of the heart.
For a long time it was thought to be nothing more than the border between the blood and the wall, but it has jobs of its own: it helps regulate capillary exchange, the passage of substances between the blood and the tissues, and it modifies blood flow. It releases local substances called endothelins, which contract the smooth muscle of the vessel wall and raise blood pressure. And if that lining gets injured and the blood is exposed to the collagen fibers underneath, that exposure is one of the main causes of clot formation.
In brief
The endothelial cell forms the endothelium, the simple squamous epithelium that lines the tunica intima of blood vessels and is continuous throughout the vascular system, including the chambers of the heart.
The endothelium helps regulate capillary exchange and modify blood flow, and it releases endothelins, which constrict the smooth muscle of the vessel wall and raise blood pressure.
If that lining is damaged and blood is exposed to the collagen underneath, the exposure is one of the main causes of clot formation.
Sources (1)
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityAnatomy and Physiology 2e, 20.1 Structure and Function of Blood Vessels
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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