Tissues are groups of specialized cells that work together for a

particular function.

There are four types of tissue.
Epithelial (covering)
Connective (support)
Muscle (movement)
Nervous (control)
Epithelial tissues cover body surfaces.
Outer layer of skin and the lining of organs
Also found in glandular tissue
Play roles in absorption, filtration, secretion, and protection
against foreign substances
Usually fit closely together in continuous
sheets

Exception: glandular epithelium
Avascular (Have no blood supply of their
own)

How do they get nutrients?
If well nourished, epithelial cells
regenerate themselves easily.
Have one free (unattached) surface or
edge called the apical surface
Exposed to bodys exterior or to the
cavity of an internal organ

Lower surface of an epithelium rests
on a basement membrane
Structureless material secreted by
both the epithelial cells and the
connective tissue cells
Each epithelium is given 2 names

First: indicates relative number of
CELL LAYERS

Simple (one layer of cells)
Stratified (more than one cell
layer)
Second: describes the SHAPE OF
CELLS

Squamous (cells flattened like
scales)
Cuboidal (cube-shaped)
Columnar (shaped like columns)
Simple squamous (SS) tissue is composed of flat, scale-like cells
that usually forms membranes

It lines the walls of blood vessels, pulmonary alveoli (ss), and the
lining of the heart, lung, and peritoneal cavities.
This tissue is composed of a single layer of cube-like cells.
It lines the walls of kidney tubules, covers the surface of ovaries,
and is common in glands and their ducts.
This tissue is composed of a single layer of tall cells.
It often includes mucus-producing goblet cells.
It often lines the digestive tract.
Although this tissue appears stratified,
it is actually composed of a single layer
of cells of different types.

Although their nuclei are found at
different levels, each cell adjoins the
basal membrane (BM).

This tissue lines the larger respiratory
passageways.

It is often ciliated (arrows).
Main functions: absorption and secretion
Ciliated variety lines respiratory tract
Mucus produced by goblet cells traps dust and other debris
Cilia propel mucus upward and away from the lungs
The term stratified refers to the layered arrangement of cells.
The outer layers of cells appear flat, but the inner cells vary in shape
from cuboidal to columnar.
Stratified squamous epithelium serves as a barrier to the outside
environment in locations such as the skin, mouth, and esophagus.
Stratified cuboidal epithelium (SC) is found in the ducts of sweat
glands and surrounds Graafian follicles of ovaries (shown below).
Shape of cells depends upon the amount of stretching
It lines organs of the urinary system.
Some epithelial membranes are
made up of cells with cilia, tiny
projections that beat in unison to
move mucus along the surface.

Ciliated epithelia in the trachea,
for example, sweep debris out of
the respiratory tract.

A gland is defined as one or more cells responsible for secreting a
particular product

Two major gland types
Exocrine gland
Secretions empty through ducts to the epithelial surface
Include sweat and oil glands

Endocrine gland
Ductless since secretions diffuse into blood vessels
All secretions are hormones
Examples include pituitary, pancreas, ovaries, testes
Connective tissue differs from other tissues in that it contains large
amounts of extracellular matrix.

Extracellular matrix is nonliving material that surrounds living cells
It is found everywhere and includes the most abundant and widely
distributed tissue
Connective tissues function to
bind other tissues together
provide support
provide nourishment
store wastes
repair damaged tissues

These tissues are generally well vascularized
Exceptions: tendons, ligaments, cartilage
The exceptions are avascular
Two main elements:
Ground substance
Mostly water along with
glycoproteins and large
polysaccharide molecules
May be liquid, gel-like, or rock-hard

Fibers
Collagen fibers (high strength)
Elastic fibers (stretch and recoil)
Reticular fibers (fine fibers, internal
skeleton)
Bone
Various types of cartilage
Adipose tissue
Dense and loose connective tissue
Blood
Composed of
Bone cells in lacunae (cavities)
Hard matrix of calcium salts
Large numbers of collagen fibers
Used to protect and support the body

Most common type of cartilage
Composed of collagen fibers hidden by a rubbery matrix with a
glassy blue-white appearance
Found in the larynx, attaches ribs to sternum, & at the end of
many bones
Entire fetal skeleton before birth
Elastic
Provides elasticity
Supports the external ear

Fibrocartilage
Highly compressible
Forms cushion-like discs between
vertebrate
Dense connective tissue contains a large number of fibers with
only a few cells.
Fibers shown here are all running parallel to each other, and no
cells are present.
Tendons (muscle to bone) and ligaments (bone to bone) are
composed of dense connective tissue.
Loose connective tissue has few fibers, a number of cell types,
and a large amount of matrix.
It functions to bind epithelia to underlying tissues.
Includes areolar, adipose, & reticular connective
Most widely distributed connective
tissue

Soft, pliable cobwebby tissue that
cushions and protects the bodys
organs it wraps

Holds internal organs together and in
their proper positions

Under microscope: matrix appears as
empty space, reservoir of water and
salts
When a body region is inflamed, the areolar tissue in the area soaks
up the excess fluid like a sponge, and the area swells and
becomes puffy.
Adipose cells are bundled together by connective tissue.
Each cell appears as a clear space, representing the site of the
large drop of lipid (fat) before it dissolved during preparation of
the microscope slide.
The nuclei appear as small disks on the periphery of cells.
Functions to insulate the body, protect organs, and fuel storage
Consists of a delicate network of interwoven reticular fibers
Forms the stroma (internal framework) which can support free blood
cells in lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, spleen, & bone marrow)
Consists of blood cells surrounded by nonliving, fluid matrix
called blood plasma
Fibers only visible during blood clotting
Functions as a transport medium for materials
Muscle is a contractile tissue.
There are three types of muscle:
Skeletal
Cardiac
Smooth
Main function is to produce movement.
Under voluntary control
Contracts to pull on bones or skin
Produces gross body movements or facial expressions
Characteristics of skeletal muscle cells
Striated (stripe-like pattern)
Multinucleate (more than one nucleus)
Long, cylindrical
Under involuntary control
Found only in the heart
Function is to pump blood
Characteristics of cardiac muscle cells
Cells are attached to other cardiac muscle cells at
intercalated disks
Striated
One nucleus/cell
Under involuntary muscle
Found in walls of hollow organs such as stomach, uterus, and
blood vessels
Characteristics of smooth muscle cells
No visible striations
One nucleus/cell
Spindle-shaped cells
Nervous tissue, which occurs throughout the body, receives and
transmits stimuli.
It converts a stimulus, whether chemical or physical in nature,
into an electrical impulse that is conducted by neurons.
Nervous tissue also consists of glia, which are the various types
of supporting cells in the nervous system.
The surface of the cerebellum is
highly fissured.
Outer layer is the molecular layer,
which contains some glial cells but
consists mostly of neuronal processes
(dendrites and axons).
Darkly stained area is the granular
layer and is composed mostly of
nerve cell bodies of tiny granule cells
(a neuron type) along with some
larger Golgi cells (another neuron
type).
Between the molecular and granular
layers lies the Purkinje layer.
Immunohistochemistry is used to reveal BrdU (brown), a
thymidine analog that is incorporated in cells undergoing S phase. Cells
stained brown were caught in the act of DNA synthesis. These cells are
found in the hippocampus, one of the only brain regions where new
neurons are formed.
(One example)
Immunofluorescence labeling shows new neurons in the hippocampus.
Green is BrdU (the marker that labels cells undergoing S phase), red is a
NeuN (a neuron-specific marker), and blue is GFAP (a glial marker). Cells
co-labeled green and red are new neurons.