a-short-review-of-histology

The Vagina:

The vagina is a flattened tube
The vagina is lined by a thick stratified squamous non-keratinising epithelium
Deep to the epithelium, is a connective tissue layer which is rich in elastic fibres
The smooth muscle layers deep to the connective tissue are generally poorly demarcated
The epithelial cells produce much glycogen when stimulated by the ovarian hormone oestrogen in the stage of the menstrual cycle leading up to ovulation
This glycogen is used by the micro flora normally resident in the vaginal lumen

Micrograph of Vagina:

Note the thick stratified squamous non keratinising epithelium of the vagina
The "empty" spaces in the superficial cells of the stratified epithelium are not artefacts but the areas of cytoplasm occupied by glycogen (unstained in this type of preparation)