Tissue Types Lecture Review

Flashcards covering the general features, classifications, examples, and functions of Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, and Nervous tissues, including specific types and components for each.

Epithelial Tissue

Covers body surfaces, lines cavities, forms glands. Characterized by tightly packed cells, an apical surface, basement membrane, avascular but innervated. Functions include protection, secretion, absorption, filtration, excretion, and sensory reception.

Simple Epithelium

Epithelial tissue composed of a single layer of cells.

Stratified Epithelium

Epithelial tissue composed of multiple layers of cells.

Pseudostratified Epithelium

Epithelial tissue that appears to have multiple layers but all cells actually touch the basement membrane.

Squamous (Epithelial Shape)

Flat, thin cell shape.

Cuboidal (Epithelial Shape)

Cube-shaped cell shape.

Columnar (Epithelial Shape)

Tall, column-like cell shape.

Transitional (Epithelial Shape)

Cells that change shape, found in stretchy organs like the bladder.

Simple Squamous Epithelium

Found in lungs (gas exchange) and lining blood vessels due to its thinness.

Simple Cuboidal Epithelium

Found in kidney tubules and glands, involved in secretion and absorption.

Simple Columnar Epithelium

Found in the digestive tract, specialized for absorption and secretion, may have microvilli.

Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium

Found in the trachea, often with cilia and mucus for clearing debris.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium

Found in the skin, mouth, and esophagus, providing protection against abrasion.

Transitional Epithelium

Found in the urinary bladder, allowing for stretching as the organ fills.

Connective Tissue

Most abundant tissue type, characterized by cells scattered in an extracellular matrix (protein fibers + ground substance). Functions include support, protection, insulation, transport, and energy storage. Vascularity varies.

Extracellular Matrix

The non-living material in connective tissue, composed of protein fibers and ground substance, where cells are embedded.

Connective Tissue Proper

A main category of connective tissue, including loose and dense types.

Areolar Tissue

A loose connective tissue proper that wraps and cushions organs.

Adipose Tissue

A loose connective tissue proper that stores fat, provides insulation, and protection.

Reticular Tissue

A loose connective tissue proper that forms a stroma to support soft organs like lymph nodes and the spleen.

Dense Regular Connective Tissue

A dense connective tissue proper found in tendons and ligaments, characterized by parallel collagen fibers providing strength in one direction.

Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

A dense connective tissue proper found in the dermis and organ capsules, providing strength in many directions.

Elastic Connective Tissue

A dense connective tissue proper found in large arteries, allowing for stretch and recoil.

Cartilage

A type of connective tissue characterized by chondrocytes in lacunae; it is avascular.

Chondrocytes

The mature cells found within cartilage.

Lacunae

Small cavities or spaces within the matrix of cartilage and bone where cells (chondrocytes or osteocytes) are located.

Hyaline Cartilage

The most common and smoothest type of cartilage, found at the ends of bones, in the nose, and trachea.

Elastic Cartilage

A flexible type of cartilage found in the ear and epiglottis.

Fibrocartilage

A strong type of cartilage providing shock absorption, found in intervertebral discs and the meniscus.

Bone

A hard connective tissue with osteocytes in lacunae, a solid matrix of collagen and calcium, providing support and protection.

Osteocytes

The mature cells found within bone tissue.

Compact Bone

The dense, outer layer of bone tissue.

Spongy Bone

The inner bone tissue that contains marrow and is responsible for making blood cells.

Blood

A fluid connective tissue with a fluid matrix called plasma, involved in transport and defense.

Plasma

The fluid matrix component of blood.

RBCs (Red Blood Cells)

Blood cells primarily responsible for oxygen transport.

WBCs (White Blood Cells)

Blood cells involved in immunity and defense against pathogens.

Platelets

Cell fragments in blood crucial for clotting.

Muscle Tissue

Tissue specialized to contract and produce movement, with a high energy demand.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary, striated, multinucleated muscle tissue attached to bones, causing body movement.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary, striated muscle tissue with a single nucleus and intercalated discs, found only in the heart to pump blood.

Intercalated Discs

Specialized junctions (gap junctions + desmosomes) found between cardiac muscle cells, allowing for coordinated contraction.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary, non-striated muscle tissue with a single nucleus, found in the walls of hollow organs (e.g., stomach, intestines) to move substances via slow contractions.

Nervous Tissue

The main control and communication system of the body, found in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Neurons

Cells in nervous tissue that transmit electrical impulses.

Cell Body (Soma)

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and is the neuron's metabolic center.

Dendrites

Branching projections of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons.

Axon

A long, slender projection of a neuron that sends electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Neuroglia (Glial Cells)

Supportive cells in nervous tissue that protect, insulate, and nourish neurons.