Caption

Goblet cell. Coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of a section through a goblet cell (blue) in the lining of the small intestine, part of the digestive tract. A goblet cell secretes the mucus (dark blue) which protects the lining of the intestine. The brush-like surface of the small intestine consists of microvilli (green) which increase the surface area available for absorption of nutrients such as lipids, proteins and fat-soluble vitamins. The microvilli have a rapid turnover of 3-4 days. The intestinal lining is supplied with a rich network of blood vessels (not seen) to transport the nutrients around the body. Magnification: x8000 at 35mm size.