Which among the following is TRUE regarding paneth cells?
High-Yield Explanation
Paneth cells, located in the basal poion of the intestinal crypts below the stem cells, are exocrine cells with large, eosinophilic secretory granules in their apical cytoplasm. The granules contain the bactericidal enzyme lysozyme, an arginine-rich protein, and zinc. Paneth cell granules undergo exocytosis to release lysozyme, phospholipase A2, and hydrophobic peptides called defensins, all of which bind and breakdown membranes of microorganisms and bacterial walls. Paneth cells have an impoant role in innate immunity and in regulating the microenvironment of the intestinal crypts. Ref: Mescher A.L. (2010). Chapter 15. Digestive Tract. In A.L. Mescher (Ed), Junqueira's Basic Histology: Text & Atlas, 12e.