| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Brunner's gland cell | (enzymes and alkaline mucus) | Duodenum | | |
Insulated goblet cell of respiratory and digestive tracts | (mucus secretion) | | | |
Foveolar cell | (mucus secretion) | stomach | | |
Chief cell | pepsinogen | stomach | | |
Parietal cell | gastric acid or hcl | stomach | | |
Pancreatic acinar cell (bicarbonate and digestive enzyme secretion) | enzymes | | | |
Paneth cell of small intestine | lysozyme | | | |
Type II pneumocyte of lung | surfactant | | | |
Club cell of lung | | | | |
Enteroendocrine cell
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
K cell | (secretes gastric inhibitory peptide) | Duodenum | | |
L cell | (secretes glucagon-like peptide-1, peptide YY3-36, oxyntomodulin, and glucagon-like peptide-2) | | | |
I cell | (secretes cholecystokinin (CCK)) | stomach | | |
G cell | secretes gastrin | stomach | | |
Enterochromaffin cell | (secretes serotonin | stomach | | |
Enterochromaffin-like cell | (secretes histamine) | | | |
N cell | (secretes neurotensin) | | | |
S cell | (secretes secretin) | | | |
D cell | (secretes somatostatin) | | | |
Mo cell (or M cell) | (secretes motilin) | | | |
vasoactive intestinal peptide, | | | | |
substance P, | | | | |
alpha and gamma-endorphin, | | | | |
bombesin | | | | |
Thyroid gland cells
Parathyroid gland cells
Pancreatic islets (islets of Langerhans)
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Salivary gland mucous cell | | | | |
Salivary gland serous cell | | | | |
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 (earwax 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) | | | | |
Trichocyte (gives rise to hair and nail cells)
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Medullary hair shaft cell | | | | |
Cortical hair shaft cell | | | | |
Cuticular hair shaft cell | | | | |
Huxley's layer hair root sheath cell | | | | |
Henle's layer hair root sheath cell | | | | |
Outer root sheath hair cell | | | | |
Surface epithelial cell of cornea, tongue, mouth, nasal cavity, distal anal canal, distal urethra, and distal vagina | | | | |
basal cell (stem cell) of cornea, tongue, mouth, nasal cavity, distal anal canal, distal urethra, and distal vagina | | | | |
Intercalated duct cell (salivary glands) | | | | |
Striated duct cell (salivary glands) | | | | |
Lactiferous duct cell (mammary glands) | | | | |
Ameloblast (deposit tooth enamel) | | | | |
Odontoblast (tooth dentin formation)
Cementoblast (tooth cementum formation)
There are nerve cells, also known as neurons, present in our human body. They are branched out. These cells make up nervous tissue. A neuron consists of a cell body with a nucleus and cytoplasm, from which long thin hair-like parts arise.
Sensory transducer cells
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Auditory inner hair cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Auditory outer hair cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Basal cells of olfactory epithelium (stem cell for olfactory neurons) | | | | |
Cold-sensitive primary sensory neurons | | | | |
Heat-sensitive primary sensory neurons | | | | |
Merkel cells of epidermis | | | | |
Olfactory receptor neurons | | | | |
Pain-sensitive primary sensory neurons | | | | |
Photoreceptor cells of retina in eye: | | | | |
Photoreceptor rod cells | | | | |
Photoreceptor blue-sensitive cone cells of eye | | | | |
Photoreceptor green-sensitive cone cells of eye | | | | |
Photoreceptor red-sensitive cone cells of eye | | | | |
Proprioceptive primary sensory neurons | | | | |
Touch-sensitive primary sensory neuronss | | | | |
Chemoreceptor glomus cells of carotid body cell (blood pH sensor) | | | | |
Outer hair cells of vestibular system of ear (acceleration and gravity) | | | | |
Inner hair cells of vestibular system of ear (acceleration and gravity) | | | | |
Taste receptor cells of taste bud | | | | |
Autonomic neuron cells
Sense organ and peripheral neuron supporting cells
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Inner pillar cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Outer pillar cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Inner phalangeal cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Outer phalangeal cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Border cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Hensen's cells of organ of Corti | | | | |
Vestibular apparatus supporting cells | | | | |
Taste bud supporting cells | | | | |
Olfactory epithelium supporting cells | | | | |
Olfactory ensheathing cells | | | | |
Schwann cells | | | | |
Satellite glial cells | | | | |
Enteric glial cells | | | | |
Central nervous system neurons and glial cells
Interneurons
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Basket cells | | | | |
Cartwheel cells | | | | |
Stellate cells | | | | |
Golgi cells | | | | |
Granule cells | | | | |
Lugaro cells | | | | |
Unipolar brush cells | | | | |
Martinotti cells | | | | |
Chandelier cells | | | | |
Cajal–Retzius cells | | | | |
Double-bouquet cells | | | | |
Neurogliaform cells | | | | |
Retina horizontal cells | | | | |
Amacrine cells | | | | |
Starburst amacrine cells | | | | |
Spinal interneurons | | | | |
Renshaw cells | | | | |
Principal cells
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Spindle neurons | | | | |
Fork neurons | | | | |
Pyramidal cells | | | | |
Place cells | | | | |
Grid cells | | | | |
Speed cells | | | | |
Head direction cells | | | | |
Betz cells | | | | |
Stellate cells | | | | |
Boundary cells | | | | |
Bushy cells | | | | |
Purkinje cells | | | | |
Medium spiny neurons | | | | |
Astrocytes | | | | |
Oligodendrocytes | | | | |
Ependymal cells | | | | |
Tanycytes | | | | |
Pituicytes | | | | |
Lens cells
Metabolism and storage cells
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Cells of the Adrenal cortex | | | | |
Cells of the Zona glomerulosa produce mineralocorticoids | | | | |
Cells of the Zona fasciculata produce glucocorticoids | | | | |
Cells of the Zona reticularis produce androgens | | | | |
Theca interna cell of ovarian follicle secreting estrogen | | | | |
Corpus luteum cell of ruptured ovarian follicle secreting progesterone | | | | |
Granulosa lutein cells | | | | |
Theca lutein cells | | | | |
Leydig cell of testes secreting testosterone | | | | |
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) | | | | |
Juxtaglomerular cell (renin secretion) | | | | |
Macula densa cell of kidney | | | | |
Peripolar cell of kidney | | | | |
Mesangial cell of kidney | | | | |
Urinary system
Reproductive system
Circulatory system
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Planum semilunatum epithelial cell of vestibular system of ear (proteoglycan secretion) | | | | |
Organ of Corti interdental epithelial cell (secreting tectorial membrane covering hair cells) | | | | |
Loose connective tissue fibroblasts | | | | |
Corneal fibroblasts (corneal keratocytes) | | | | |
Tendon fibroblasts | | | | |
Bone marrow reticular tissue fibroblasts | | | | |
Other nonepithelial fibroblasts | | | | |
Pericyte | | | | |
Hepatic stellate cell (Ito cell) | | | | |
Nucleus pulposus cell of intervertebral disc | | | | |
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 | | | | |
Pancreatic stellate cell | | | | |
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Skeletal muscle cells | | | | |
Red skeletal muscle cell (slow twitch) | | | | |
White skeletal muscle cell (fast twitch) | | | | |
Intermediate skeletal muscle cell | | | | |
Nuclear bag cell of muscle spindle | | | | |
Nuclear chain cell of muscle spindle | | | | |
Myosatellite cell (stem cell) | | | | |
Cardiac muscle cells | | | | |
Cardiac muscle cell | | | | |
SA node cell | | | | |
Purkinje fiber cell | | | | |
other | | | | |
Smooth muscle cell (various types) | | | | |
Myoepithelial cell of iris | | | | |
Myoepithelial cell of exocrine glands | | | | |
Blood and immune system cells
| function | Location | analogy | cartoon |
Erythrocyte (red blood cell) and precursor erythroblasts | | | | |
Megakaryocyte (platelet precursor) | | | | |
Platelets if considered distinct cells, currently there's debate on the subject. | | | | |
Monocyte (white blood cell) | | | | |
Connective tissue macrophage (various types) | | | | |
Epidermal Langerhans cell | | | | |
Osteoclast (in bone) | | | | |
Dendritic cell (in lymphoid tissues) | | | | |
Microglial cell (in central nervous system) | | | | |
Neutrophil granulocyte and precursors (myeloblast, promyelocyte, myelocyte, metamyelocyte) | | | | |
Eosinophil granulocyte and precursors | | | | |
Basophil granulocyte and precursors | | | | |
Mast cell | | | | |
Helper T cell | | | | |
Regulatory T cell | | | | |
Cytotoxic T cell | | | | |
Natural killer T cell | | | | |
B cell | | | | |
Plasma cell | | | | |
Natural killer cell | | | | |
Hematopoietic stem cells and committed progenitors for the blood and immune system (various types) | | | | |
Interstitial cells
Interstitial kidney cells