flat, paving stone shaped, cells, usually found in the epithelial tissue where the body meets the external environment such as the cervix, skin, vagina, vulva and gastrointestinal tract. Squamous epithelium is formed from cells of the mucous membrane of the mouth and squamous endothelium lines blood vessels. The outermost layer of our skins is composed of dead squamous epithelial cells
. See Epithelium