The reduced enamel epithelium, sometimes called reduced dental epithelium, overlies a
developing tooth
A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
and is formed by two layers: a layer of
ameloblast
Ameloblasts are cells present only during tooth development that deposit tooth enamel, which is the hard outermost layer of the tooth forming the surface of the crown.
Structure
Each ameloblast is a columnar cell approximately 4 micrometers in d ...
cells
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
Cell may also refer to:
Locations
* Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...
and the adjacent layer of
cuboidal cells (outer enamel epithelium) from the
dental lamina
The dental lamina is a band of epithelial tissue seen in histologic sections of a developing tooth. The dental lamina is first evidence of tooth development and begins (in humans) at the sixth week in utero or three weeks after the rupture of the ...
. As the cells of the reduced enamel epithelium degenerate, the tooth is revealed progressively with its eruption into the
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
. The degeneration of reduced enamel epithelium also mediates the initial
epithelial
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellula ...
attachment to the tooth, which is called the junctional epithelium.
The reduced enamel epithelium consist of:
*
Inner enamel epithelium
The inner enamel epithelium, also known as the internal enamel epithelium, is a layer of columnar cells located on the rim nearest the dental papilla of the enamel organ in a developing tooth. This layer is first seen during the cap stage, in wh ...
*
Outer enamel epithelium
The outer enamel epithelium, also known as the external enamel epithelium, is a layer of cuboidal cells located on the periphery of the enamel organ in a developing tooth. This layer is first seen during the bell stage.
The rim of the enamel org ...
References
*Cate, A.R. Ten. Oral Histology: development, structure, and function. 5th ed. 1998. .
*Brand, Richard Isselhard, Donald. Anatomy of Orofacial Structures (Anatomy of Orofacial Structures. Mosby. 7 edition (March 4, 2003).
Parts of tooth
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