Arteriole

• The endothelium of this small artery is a simple squamous epithelium, visible here only as a "dotted line" of nuclei of endothelial cell nuclei, exactly at the edge of the arterial lumen.  These nuclei look round rather than flat because post-mortem contraction of smooth muscle in the media has caused longitudinal wrinkles in the endothelium.


• Smooth muscle fibers form the media of this small artery. 


• Immediately surrounding the artery is connective tissue of adventitia.  This is not a distinct layer but merges with surrounding connective tissue, here labelled as collagen.

Comments and questions: dgking@siu.edu

SIUC / School of Medicine / Anatomy / David King

https://histology.siu.edu/intro/IN028b.htm
Last updated:  13 June 2022 / dgk