European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

SUBMUCOSA OF GALL BLADDER A MISCONCEPTION

Dr. Mohamed Noorulla*

ABSTRACT

Some of the standard text books of histology the chapter dealing with the structure of gall bladder describe the submucosa as one of the layers of the wall of the gall bladder. Submucosa is a layer of loose connective tissue containing blood vessels, nerve plexuses and lymphatics present between the muscularis mucosa and muscularis externa. Muscularis mucosa is totally absent in the wall of the gall bladder. The lamina propria containing loose connective tissue rest upon the muscularis externa and hence there is no muscular layer separating the mucosa from the muscularis externa. This article attempts to discuss the anomalous description of submucosa as a layer, in spite of its absence in the structure of gall bladder, which it seems to be continuing in some of the text books of histology and regular teaching as well. It is time to rectify and remove this anomalous description from the descriptive histology.

Keywords: Gall bladder, Muscularis mucosa, Submucosa, Lamina propria.