Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, 7th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0073403717
ISBN 13: 978-0-07340-371-7

Chapter 3 - Section 3.1 - Concepts of Cellular Structure - Before You Go On - Page 81: 2

Answer

When we say that a cell is squamous, stellate, columnar, or fusiform, we are describing the cell's shape. Squamous cells are flat, stellate cells are star-shaped, columnar cells look like columns, and fusiform cells look like spindles.

Work Step by Step

When we describe cells, we often describe the shape of the cells. Squamous cells are flat, thin, scaly shaped and often look like eggs cooked sunny-side up. Columnar cells are taller than they are wide. They look like columns. Stellate cells have multiple pointed processes projecting from the body of the cell. They tend to look like stars. Fusiform cells are shaped like spindles. They are elongated with a thick middle that tapers at the end.
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