Mucosa: Intestinal glands

Intestinal glands are lined by an epithelium composed of absorptive enterocytes, goblet cells, Paneth cells, enteroendocrine cells and stem cells. Stem cells are proliferative cells that replenish both absorptive and goblet cells. Differentiated cells migrate up the intestinal glands onto the villi, where they are eventually shed into the lumen. Epithelial cells in the small intestine turnover every 3-5 days. 1000x

Enterocytes are the absorptive cells lining the gland.

Goblet cells produce mucus for lubrication along the intestinal surface.

Paneth cells are located primarily at the bases of intestinal glands and display bright red granules adjacent to the lumen.  Paneth cells secrete lysozyme that digests bacterial cell walls and helps regulate the normal bacterial flora. 

Enteroendocrine cells belong to a larger class of endocrine cells, the diffuse neuroendocrine system (DNES). At least 15 different types of hormone-secreting enteroendocrine cells are present in the digestive tract. Because they secrete into the lamina propria, rather than the lumen of the intestinal gland, their granules face the basement membrane of the gland.

This image was taken of a slide in the University of Mississippi slide collection