Transport across stratified nonkeratinized epithelium

The external mucin layer, the cell membranes, the tight junctions, the intercellular substance and the basal lamina contribute to the compartmentalization of nonkeratinized stratified epithelium. Transport across an epithelial membrane can be conceived as a stepwise process involving different mechanisms for the transfer of solutes from one compartment to another. The inward transport route in gingival crevicular epithelium is considered to have a limited capacity as compared to the flow of tissue fluid into the crevice. The total transport across the crevicular epithelium is influenced by several factors and is probably not a linear function of the concentration of the solutions exposed to this membrane.