Infrequent type of columnar epithelial cell. This cell is characterized by the presence of a tuft of blunt, squat microvilli (approximately 120-140/cell) on the cell surface. The microvilli contain filaments that stretch into the underlying cytoplasm. They have a distinctive pear shape with a wide base and a narrow microvillous apex. Function not known. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15817800 GOC:tfm http://openisbn.com/search.php?q=0517223651&isbn=1/ ]