Isolated colonic crypt with mucin cells

Confocal image of an isolated colonic crypt in cross section. Mucin cells (purple) in the crypts produce mucous which passes into the interior of the colon through the crypt lumen (the mauve area in the centre of the crypt) to facilitate the movement of the faecal mass through the colon. The surrounding muscle layer is shown in green. This tissue is from an endoscopic colonic biopsy for a child and shows the normal appearence of the colonic crypts. Biomedical Image Awards 2002.