dense core granule cell
Last reviewed 01/2018
The dense core granule cell is a component of the epithelium throughout the bronchi and bronchioles of the respiratory tract. Found in clusters, each cell is closely associated with a nerve fibre.
The dense core cell may have one of two functions:
- production of lipid for the mucus layer above the epithelium
- sensory cell involved with local reflexes governing smooth muscle contraction and hence the degree of:
- bronchial constriction
- vascular constriction