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LIPS - Histological Structure

Lips have a complex histological structure that allows them to serve several functions. [1] Externally, lips are covered by skin containing hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. Internally, they are lined with a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and contain salivary glands. [2] The vermilion zone is a transition area where dermal papillae extend into the epithelium, giving lips their red color. [3] Lips are important for functions like feeding, speech, facial expression and kissing. They are also very sensitive tactile organs and can be erogenous zones due to their high nerve ending content.

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170 views4 pages

LIPS - Histological Structure

Lips have a complex histological structure that allows them to serve several functions. [1] Externally, lips are covered by skin containing hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. Internally, they are lined with a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and contain salivary glands. [2] The vermilion zone is a transition area where dermal papillae extend into the epithelium, giving lips their red color. [3] Lips are important for functions like feeding, speech, facial expression and kissing. They are also very sensitive tactile organs and can be erogenous zones due to their high nerve ending content.

Uploaded by

ivkovict
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lips – Histological Structure

1. Introduction
Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation
of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be an erogenous
zone.

The upper and lower lips are referred to as the "Labium superius oris" and "Labium
inferius oris", respectively. The juncture where the lips meet the surrounding skin of
the mouth area is the vermilion border, and the typically reddish area within the
borders is called the vermilion zone. The vermilion border of the upper lip is known
as the cupid's bow. The fleshy protuberance located in the center of the upper lip is a
tubercle known by various terms including the procheilon, the "tuberculum labii
superioris", and the "labial tubercle". The vertical groove extending from the
procheilon to the nasal septum is called the philtrum.

2. Structure
a) External Surface
Covered with thin skin formed of epidermis and dermis with the associated hair
follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. It has stratified, keratinized squamous
epithelium with hair follicles.

The epithelium consists of four layers:


 Stratum basale (basal layer)
 Stratum spinosum (prickle layer)
 Stratum granulosum (granular layer)
 Stratum corneum (keratinized layer)

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b) Internal Surface
A stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium lines the oral surface of the lips,
cheeks, floor of mouth, and covers the ventral surface of the tongue.

A lamina propria underlies the mucosa and small salivary glands (labial salivary
glands) are present in the submucosa. Transition zone is called the vermillion zone
(present only in humans). In the transition zone, long connective tissue papillae
extend deep into the epithelium. Capillaries are carried close to the surface in these
papillae. Because the epithelium is very thin in this region, the lips appear red.
Salivary glands are lacking in the vermillion zone, therefore, the lips must be
continuously moistened (by the tongue) to prevent drying out.

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c) The Vermilion
Transparent epithelium; formed of stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium
without hair follicles, sebaceous glands or sweat glands.

Deeply and heavily vascular dermal papillae (giving the red color of the lip margin),
highly supplied with nerves.

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3.Conclusion
So, why do we have lips? Birds get on just fine without them, turtles' lips have
hardened into beaks as well, and while most mammals have lips, we humans are in a
class all our own having lips that are permanently turned outwards.

The lips are very important. They have many purposes. For food intake, speech, lip
reading and also contribute substantially to facial expressions, which is fundamental
in interhuman relations.

Speech is arguably a critical part of human life, but it's not quite as much fun as
kissing. Kissing isn't universal, though it does pop up in some 90% of cultures.

Lips are very sensible to touch, warmth, cold, they have a lot of nerve endings so they
are also an erogenous zone.

Using our lips to suck is one of the very first skills we have after we're born. In fact,
it's so fundamental to our survival that it's known as a "primitive reflex"; we're born
knowing how to suck and no learning is necessary. That's true for nearly all mammals.

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