The
crypts of Lieberkühn (or
intestinal glands) are
glands found in the
epithelial lining of the
small intestine and
colon. Named after the 18th-century German anatomist
Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn, the crypts secrete various
enzymes, including
sucrase and
maltase, along with
endopeptidases and
exopeptidases. Loss of proliferation control in the crypts is thought to lead to
colorectal cancer.
The basal portion of the Crypt contains multipotent stem cells. At each mitosis one daughter remains a stem cell while the other differentiates and migrates up the side of the crypt and eventually the villus. Goblet cells are among the cells produced in this fashion.
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