Human Oral Mucosa: Development, Structure and Function is a new text that reflects the considerable increase in knowledge of oral mucosa that has occurred in recent years. Our understanding of the structure of oral mucosa is now established at a molecular rather than a tissue or cellular level. This in turn has revealed a level of function that was previously not suspected, including a sophisticated barrier to the penetration of exogenous materials, and the synthesis of specific antimicrobial compounds, representing components of the innate immune system. There is also a growing realization of commonality in structure and function between regions of oral mucosa and the mucosae of the esophagus and vagina.The aim of the present volume is to provide a more sophisticated text on human oral mucosa than presently exists in textbooks and to bring together information that is otherwise to be found in separate, specialist volumes into a comprehensive text. It relates structure at the molecular, cellular and tissue level to function and to clinical behavior. The volume is directed to advanced students and researchers in oral biology, as well as those in allied areas of investigation, such as dermatology, gynecology, internal medicine and pathology.

Preface vii1 The functions of oral mucosa 31.1 Oral mucosa: What is it and what does it do? 31.2 Functions of the oral mucosa 5References 72 The organization of oral mucosa 92.1 Clinical features 102.2 Component tissues and glands 14References 163 Oral epithelium 193.1 Histological structure of oral epithelium 203.2 Epithelial proliferation and turnover 243.3 Molecular and cellular organization of oral epithelium 293.4 Non-keratinocytes in the oral epithelium 41References 504 The interface between epithelium and connective tissue 534.1 Organization of the normal interface 554.2 Immune-mediated subepithelial blistering diseases (IMSEBDS) 57References 585 Connective tissue 595.1 Lamina propria 595.2 Blood supply 685.3 Nerve supply 70References 746 Regional differences in the oral mucosa 776.1 Structural variations in different regions 776.2 Junctions in the oral mucosa 85References 977 Development and aging of the oral mucosa 997.1 Developmental stages of oral mucosa 1007.2 The control of mucosal development: epithelial-mesenchymal interaction 1047.3 Aging 106References 1098 Barrier functions of oral mucosa 1138.1 The permeability barrier 1148.2 Immunologic barrier function of oral mucosa 122References 1359 Homologies in structure and function among mucosae: oral, esophageal, and vaginal mucosa 1459.1 Esophagus 1459.2 Vagina 1479.3 Organization of the tissues of esophagus and vagina 1479.4 Non-keratinocytes in esophageal and vaginal mucosa 1539.5 Infl ammatory cells 154References 154Index 159