Answer
The 9 common cell shapes are:
1. Squamous
2. Cuboidal
3. Columnar
4. Polygonal
5. Stellate
6. Spheroidal
7. Discoid
8. Fusiform
9. Fibrous
Work Step by Step
1. Squamous - "squashed". These look like sunny-side up eggs. There is a bulge where the nucleus is.
2. Cuboidal - "cube shaped". These look like little squares. Both sides are of roughly equal dimensions.
3. Columnar - "column shaped". These look like little rectangles. One side is longer than the other.
4. Polygonal - These look like polygons from your math textbook. They are irregular angular shapes with 4+ sides.
5. Stellate - "star shaped". These are generally nerve cells. They are pretty distinctive in shape, having sharp, pointed processes projecting from the cell body.
6. Spheroidal - "sphere shaped". They look like spheres.
7. Discoid - "disc shaped". These are like red blood cells. They look like little discs or Frisbees.
8. Fusiform - "spindle-shaped". These look like little sideways diamonds. The edges are "sharper" and more angled than squamous cells (who's edges appear rounder).
9. Fibrous - "thread like". These are long and slender. They can be found in skeletal muscle cells.
