what are epithelial cells
epithelial cell, any one of several cells arranged in one or more layers that form part of a covering or lining of a body surface.The cells usually adhere to one other along their edges and surfaces. One surface is free, and the other rests on a noncellular basement membrane.See also epithelial tissue.ny of the cells forming the cellular sheets that cover surfaces, both inside and outside the body. Epithelial cells are closely packed and take on polyhedral shapes, from tall (columnar) through squat (cuboidal) to flat (squamous).