Does epithelial tissue have an apical surface?
yes, they line body cavities or surface of organs, so by that definition they all have an apical surface on top AND a basement membrane on bottom. Simple epithelial tissue is only one cell thick, so it is the apical layer and touches the basement mbn. Stratified epithelial tissues have multiple layers,so the top layer would be apical, while the bottom layer touches the basement membrane. Epidermis of our skin is stratified squamous epithelium. The stratum corneum is the topmost apical layer and the stratum basale is at the basement membrane. There are 2 or 3 other layers between these two depending what area of the body you are studying the tissue in.
