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The Intestine as a Model for Studying Stem-Cell Behavior

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Tumor Models in Cancer Research

Part of the book series: Cancer Drug Discovery and Development ((CDD&D))

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Abstract

The intestine is lined by a simple columnar epithelium that folds into a number of cavities—the crypts of Lieberkühn—embedded in the connective tissue. In the small intestine, there are also finger-like protrusions known as villi, which are covered in this epithelium. The villi are approximately ten times larger than the crypts, but much less common (4–7× fewer, depending upon the intestinal region) (1). The functional cells are located on the villus (or toward the top of the crypts of the large intestine), and are continuously sloughed off into the lumen. These cells are replaced by massive cell production within the bottom two-thirds of the crypt, where cells in the mouse are dividing approx twice daily. This crypt region is therefore frequently referred to as the proliferative zone.

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Authors
  1. Catherine Booth PhD
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  2. Christopher S. Potten PhD, DSc
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Beverly A. Teicher

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Booth, C., Potten, C.S. (2002). The Intestine as a Model for Studying Stem-Cell Behavior. In: Teicher, B.A. (eds) Tumor Models in Cancer Research. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-100-8_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-100-8_19

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6883-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-100-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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