What do the outer layers of skin,
mouth, throat, anal canal, and vagina have in common?
They are all lined with Stratified Squamous Epithelium.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium


What exactly is that?
Well, you must first know what a tissue is
It is a grouping of specific cells joined together.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium


The difference between the S.S.E. and other types
(such as Simple Squamous Epithelium
or Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium)
is that in the many layers present,
not all of them are the same.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium

As each layer gets older,
it gets pushed to the surface (exposed),
which flattens them at the top.
This means that it is constantly repairing itself -
like a snake sheds its skin, for example.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium
Stratified Squamous Epithelium

One thing that you may have noticed is that the skin is dry
compared to the mouth, throat, anal canal, and vagina,
but somehow they are the same.
Why is that?
Well, because the skin is used for protection,
so the dryness translates into toughness.
The wet section is constantly being secreted
with fluid from goblet cells to keep it smooth.
Other than that, they all possess the same qualities.