© 1999 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 1999

Appendix C. Catalog of Distinct Cell Types in the Adult Human Body

Keratinizing Epithelial Cells

Epidermal keratinocyte (differentiating epidermal cell)

Epidermal basal cell (stem cell)

Keratinocyte of fingernails and toenails

Nail bed basal cell (stem cell)

Medullary hair shaft cell

Cortical hair shaft cell

Cuticular hair shaft cell

Cuticular hair root sheath cell

Hair root sheath cell of Huxley's layer

Hair root sheath cell of Henle's layer

External hair root sheath cell

Hair matrix cell (stem cell)

Wet Stratified Barrier Epithelial Cells

Surface epithelial cell of stratified squamous epithelium of cornea, tongue, oral cavity, esophagus, anal canal, distal urethra and vagina

basal cell (stem cell) of epithelia of cornea, tongue, oral cavity, esophagus, anal canal, distal urethra and vagina

Urinary epithelium cell (lining bladder and urinary ducts)

Exocrine Secretory Epithelial Cells

Salivary gland mucous cell (polysaccharide-rich secretion)

Salivary gland serous cell (glycoprotein enzyme-rich secretion)

Von Ebner's gland cell in tongue (washes taste buds)

Mammary gland cell (milk secretion)

Lacrimal gland cell (tear secretion)

Ceruminous gland cell in ear (wax secretion)

Eccrine sweat gland dark cell (glycoprotein secretion)

Eccrine sweat gland clear cell (small molecule secretion)

Apocrine sweat gland cell (odoriferous secretion, sex-hormone sensitive)

Gland of Moll cell in eyelid (specialized sweat gland)

Sebaceous gland cell (lipid-rich sebum secretion)

Bowman's gland cell in nose (washes olfactory epithelium)

Brunner's gland cell in duodenum (enzymes and alkaline mucus)

Seminal vesicle cell (secretes seminal fluid components, including fructose for swimming sperm)

Prostate gland cell (secretes seminal fluid components)

Bulbourethral gland cell (mucus secretion)

Bartholin's gland cell (vaginal lubricant secretion)

Gland of Littre cell (mucus secretion)

Uterus endometrium cell (carbohydrate secretion)

Isolated goblet cell of respiratory and digestive tracts (mucus secretion)

Stomach lining mucous cell (mucus secretion)

Gastric gland zymogenic cell (pepsinogen secretion)

Gastric gland oxyntic cell (HCl secretion)

Pancreatic acinar cell (bicarbonate and digestive enzyme secretion)

Paneth cell of small intestine (lysozyme secretion)

Type II pneumocyte of lung (surfactant secretion)

Clara cell of lung

Hormone Secreting Cells

Anterior pituitary cell secreting growth hormone

Anterior pituitary cell secreting follicle-stimulating hormone

Anterior pituitary cell secreting luteinizing hormone

Anterior pituitary cell secreting prolactin

Anterior pituitary cell secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone

Anterior pituitary cell secreting thyroid-stimulating hormone

Intermediate pituitary cell secreting melanocyte-stimulating hormone

Posterior pituitary cell secreting oxytocin

Posterior pituitary cell secreting vasopressin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting serotonin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting endorphin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting somatostatin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting gastrin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting secretin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting cholecystokinin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting insulin

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting glucagon

Gut and respiratory tract cell secreting bombesin

Thyroid gland cell secreting thyroid hormone

Thyroid gland cell secreting calcitonin

Parathyroid gland cell secreting parathyroid hormone

Parathyroid gland oxyphil cell

Adrenal gland cell secreting epinephrine

Adrenal gland cell secreting norepinephrine

Adrenal gland cell secreting steroid hormones (mineralcorticoids and gluco corticoids)

Leydig cell of testes secreting testosterone

Theca interna cell of ovarian follicle secreting estrogen

Corpus luteum cell of ruptured ovarian follicle secreting progesterone

Kidney juxtaglomerular apparatus cell (renin secretion)

Macula densa cell of kidney

Peripolar cell of kidney

Mesangial cell of kidney

Epithelial Absorptive Cells (Gut, Exocrine Glands and Urogenital Tract)

Intestinal brush border cell (with microvilli)

Exocrine gland striated duct cell

Gall bladder epithelial cell

Kidney proximal tubule brush border cell

Kidney distal tubule cell

Ductulus efferens nonciliated cell

Epididymal principal cell

Epididymal basal cell

Metabolism and Storage Cells

Hepatocyte (liver cell)

White fat cell

Brown fat cell

Liver lipocyte

Barrier Function Cells (Lung, Gut, Exocrine Glands and Urogenital Tract)

Type I pneumocyte (lining air space of lung)

Pancreatic duct cell (centroacinar cell)

Nonstriated duct cell (of sweat gland, salivary gland, mammary gland, etc.)

Kidney glomerulus parietal cell

Kidney glomerulus podocyte

Loop of Henle thin segment cell (in kidney)

Kidney collecting duct cell

Duct cell (of seminal vesicle, prostate gland, etc.)

Epithelial Cells Lining Closed Internal Body Cavities

Blood vessel and lymphatic vascular endothelial fenestrated cell

Blood vessel and lymphatic vascular endothelial continuous cell

Blood vessel and lymphatic vascular endothelial splenic cell

Synovial cell (lining joint cavities, hyaluronic acid secretion)

Serosal cell (lining peritoneal, pleural, and pericardial cavities)

Squamous cell (lining perilymphatic space of ear)

Squamous cell (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Columnar cell of endolymphatic sac with microvilli (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Columnar cell of endolymphatic sac without microvilli (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Dark cell (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Vestibular membrane cell (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Stria vascularis basal cell (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Stria vascularis marginal cell (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Cell of Claudius (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Cell of Boettcher (lining endolymphatic space of ear)

Choroid plexus cell (cerebrospinal fluid secretion)

Pia-arachnoid squamous cell

Pigmented ciliary epithelium cell of eye

Nonpigmented ciliary epithelium cell of eye

Corneal endothelial cell

Ciliated Cells with Propulsive Function

Respiratory tract ciliated cell

Oviduct ciliated cell (in female)

Uterine endometrial ciliated cell (in female)

Rete testis cilated cell (in male)

Ductulus efferens ciliated cell (in male)

Ciliated ependymal cell of central nervous system (lining brain cavities)

Extracellular Matrix Secretion Cells

Ameloblast epithelial cell (tooth enamel secretion)

Planum semilunatum epithelial cell of vestibular apparatus of ear (proteoglycan secretion)

Organ of Corti interdental epithelial cell (secreting tectorial membrane covering hair cells)

Loose connective tissue fibroblasts

Corneal fibroblasts

Tendon fibroblasts

Bone marrow reticular tissue fibroblasts

Other (nonepithelial) fibroblasts

Blood capillary pericyte

Nucleus pulposus cell of intervertebral disc

Cementoblast/cementocyte (tooth root bonelike cementum secretion)

Odontoblast/odontocyte (tooth dentin secretion)

Hyaline cartilage chondrocyte

Fibrocartilage chondrocyte

Elastic cartilage chondrocyte

Osteoblast/osteocyte

Osteoprogenitor cell (stem cell of osteoblasts)

Hyalocyte of vitreous body of eye

Stellate cell of perilymphatic space of ear

Contractile Cells

Red skeletal muscle cell (slow)

White skeletal muscle cell (fast)

Intermediate skeletal muscle cell

Muscle spindle -- nuclear bag cell

Muscle spindle -- nuclear chain cell

Satellite cell (stem cell)

Ordinary heart muscle cell

Nodal heart muscle cell

Purkinje fiber cell

Smooth muscle cell (various types)

Myoepithelial cell of iris

Myoepithelial cell of exocrine glands

Blood and Immune System Cells

Erythrocyte (red blood cell)

Megakaryocyte

Monocyte

Connective tissue macrophage (various types)

Epidermal Langerhans cell

Osteoclast (in bone)

Dendritic cell (in lymphoid tissues)

Microglial cell (in central nervous system)

Neutrophil

Eosinophil

Basophil

Mast cell

Helper T lymphocyte cell

Suppressor T lymphocyte cell

Killer T lymphocyte cell

IgM B lymphocyte cell

IgG B lymphocyte cell

IgA B lymphocyte cell

IgE B lymphocyte cell

Killer cell

Stem cells and committed progenitors for the blood and immune system (various types)

Sensory Transducer Cells

Photoreceptor rod cell of eye

Photoreceptor blue-sensitive cone cell of eye

Photoreceptor green-sensitive cone cell of eye

Photoreceptor red-sensitive cone cell of eye

Auditory inner hair cell of organ of Corti

Auditory outer hair cell of organ of Corti

Type I hair cell of vestibular apparatus of ear (acceleration and gravity)

Type II hair cell of vestibular apparatus of ear (acceleration and gravity)

Type I taste bud cell

Olfactory neuron

Basal cell of olfactory epithelium (stem cell for olfactory neurons)

Type I carotid body cell (blood pH sensor)

Type II carotid body cell (blood pH sensor)

Merkel cell of epidermis (touch sensor)

Touch-sensitive primary sensory neurons (various types)

Cold-sensitive primary sensory neurons

Heat-sensitive primary sensory neurons

Pain-sensitive primary sensory neurons (various types)

Proprioceptive primary sensory neurons (various types)

Autonomic Neuron Cells

Cholinergic neural cell (various types)

Adrenergic neural cell (various types)

Peptidergic neural cell (various types)

Sense Organ and Peripheral Neuron Supporting Cells

Inner pillar cell of organ of Corti

Outer pillar cell of organ of Corti

Inner phalangeal cell of organ of Corti

Outer phalangeal cell of organ of Corti

Border cell of organ of Corti

Hensen cell of organ of Corti

Vestibular apparatus supporting cell

Type I taste bud supporting cell

Olfactory epithelium supporting cell

Schwann cell

Satellite cell (encapsulating peripheral nerve cell bodies)

Enteric glial cell

Central Nervous System Neurons and Glial Cells

Neuron cell (large variety of types, still poorly classified)

Astrocyte glial cell (various types)

Oligodendrocyte glial cell

Lens Cells

Anterior lens epithelial cell

Crystallin-containing lens fiber cell

Pigment Cells

Melanocyte

Retinal pigmented epithelial cell

Germ Cells

Oogonium/oocyte

Spermatocyte

Spermatogonium cell (stem cell for spermatocyte)

Nurse Cells

Ovarian follicle cell

Sertoli cell (in testis)

Thymus epithelial cell

Last updated on 7 December 2002