The inner enamel epithelium, also known as the internal enamel epithelium, is a layer of columnar
cells
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
Cell may also refer to:
Locations
* Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...
located on the rim nearest the
dental papilla of the
enamel organ
The enamel organ, also known as the dental organ, is a cellular aggregation seen in a developing tooth and it lies above the dental papilla. The enamel organ which is differentiated from the primitive oral epithelium lining the stomodeum.The enam ...
in a
developing tooth
A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, ...
. This layer is first seen during the cap stage, in which these inner enamel epithelium cells are pre-ameloblast cells. These will differentiate into Ameloblasts which are responsible for secretion of enamel during tooth development.
The location of the enamel organ where the outer and inner enamel epithelium join is called the
cervical loop
The cervical loop is the location on an enamel organ in a developing tooth where the outer enamel epithelium and the inner enamel epithelium join. The cervical loop is a histologic term indicating a specific epithelial structure at the apical s ...
.
References
*Cate, A.R. Ten. ''Oral Histology: development, structure, and function.'' 5th ed. 1998. .
*Ross, Michael H., Gordon I. Kaye, and Wojciech Pawlina. ''Histology: a text and atlas.'' 4th edition. 2003. .
Tooth development
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