Biology I
Animal Tissues
A tissue is a group of connected cells that have a similar function within an organism.
There are four basic types of tissue in the body of all animals, including the human
body. These make up all the organs, structures and other contents of the
body. figure below shows an example of each tissue type.
The four basic types of animal tissue are:
Epithelial tissue is made up of layers of tightly packed cells that line the surfaces
of the body for protection, secretion, and absorption. Examples of epithelial tissue
include the skin, the lining of the mouth and nose, and the lining of the digestive
system.
Epithelial Tissue
1. They cover the body, organs, blood vessels and all body cavities.
2. The cells are thin and lower most layer rest in a basement membrane.
3. Basically protective. Could be secretory and absorptive in function.
Types: They are of two types.
1. Simple (made up of one layer of cells)
i) Simple epithelium: Made up of one layer of cells. Depending on the
shape of cells, it could be of following types.
ii) Simple squamous epithelium: Made up of thin, flattened cells. Form
lining of mouth, lungs and capillaries. Allow exchange of gases and materials.
iii) Simple cuboidal epithelium: Made up of cube like cells. Present in
kidney tubules. Secretory and absorptive in function.
iv) Simple columnar epithelium: Made up of long column-like cells with
generally nuclei at the base. Present in the lining of stomach, intestine, salivary
glands. Secretory and absorptive in function.
2. Stratified (made up of number of layers of cells)
Stratified epithelium: Made up of number of layers of cells. Covers the body.
Protective in function.
Muscle tissue is made up of cells contain contractile filaments that move past
each other and change the size of the cell. There are three types of muscle
tissue: smooth muscle which is found in the inner linings of organs; skeletal
muscle, which is attached to bone and moves the body; and cardiac muscle
which is found only in the heart.
Biology I
Smooth Muscle
Muscle tissue in the walls of internal organs such as the stomach and intestines
is smooth muscle. When smooth muscle contracts, it helps the organs carry out
their functions. For example, when smooth muscle in the stomach contracts, it
squeezes the food inside the stomach, which helps break the food into smaller
pieces. Contractions of smooth muscle are involuntary. This means they are not
under conscious control.
Skeletal Muscle
Muscle tissue that is attached to bone is skeletal muscle. Whether you are
blinking your eyes or running a marathon, you are using skeletal muscle.
Contractions of skeletal muscle are voluntary, or under conscious control.
Skeletal muscle is the most common type of muscle in the human body.
Cardiac Muscle
Cardiac muscle is found only in the walls of the heart. When cardiac muscle
contracts, the heart beats and pumps blood. Cardiac muscle contains a great
many mitochondria, which produce ATP for energy. This helps the heart resist
fatigue. Contractions of cardiac muscle are involuntary, like those of smooth
muscle. Cardiac muscle, like skeletal muscle, is arranged in bundles, so it
appears striated, or striped.
There are three types of human muscle tissue: smooth muscle (in internal
organs), skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle (only in the heart).
Connective tissue is made up of many different types of cells that are all
involved in structure and support of the body. Bone, blood, fat, and cartilage are
all connective tissues. Connective tissue can be densely packed together, as
bone cells are, or loosely packed, as adipose tissue (fat cells) are.
Bone Tissues
Bones consist of different types of tissue, including compact bone, spongy bone,
bone marrow, and periosteum.
- Compact bone makes up the dense outer layer of bone. Its functional unit
is the osteon. Compact bone is very hard and strong.
- Spongy bone is found inside bones and is lighter and less dense than
compact bone. This is because spongy bone is porous.
Biology I
- Bone marrow is a soft connective tissue that produces blood cells. It is
found inside the pores of spongy bone.
- Periosteum is a tough, fibrous membrane that covers and protects the
outer surfaces of bone.
Blood
- Is a fluid connective tissue. It circulates throughout the body through blood
vessels by the pumping action of the heart. Blood in arteries carries oxygen and nutrients
to all the body’s cells. Blood in veins carries carbon dioxide and other wastes away from
the cells to be excreted. Blood also defends the body against infection, repairs body
tissues, transports hormones, and controls the body’s pH.
Nervous tissue is made up of the nerve cells (neurons) that together form the
nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.
Neuron Structure
- The cell body contains the nucleus and other cell organelles.
- Dendrites extend from the cell body and receive nerve impulses from
other neurons.
- The axon is a long extension of the cell body that transmits nerve
impulses to other cells. The axon branches at the end, forming axon
terminals. These are the points where the neuron communicates with
other cells.
