Epithelial cells can be squamous (flat), cuboidal or columnar and rest on a basal lamina, the upper layer of the basement membrane, the lower layer is the reticular lamina lying next to the connective tissue in the extracellular matrix secreted by the epithelial cells.
ˌɛpɪθˈɛlɪəl sˈɛlz kæn biː skwˈɑːməs flˈæt, kjˈuːbɔɪdəl ɔːɹ kˈɑːləmnˌɑːɹ ænd ɹˈɛst ˌɔn ɐ bˈeɪsəl lˈæmɪnə, ðɪ ˌʌpɚ lˈeɪɚɹ ʌvðə bˈeɪsmənt mˈɛmbɹeɪn, ðə lˈoʊɚ lˈeɪɚɹ ɪz ðə ɹɛtˈɪkjʊlɚ lˈæmɪnə lˈaɪɪŋ nˈɛkst tə ðə kənˈɛktɪv tˈɪʃuː ɪnðɪ ˌɛkstɹəsˈɛljʊlɚ mˈeɪtɹɪks sᵻkɹˈiːɾᵻd baɪ ðɪ ˌɛpɪθˈɛlɪəl sˈɛlz.