Tissues in Action Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering plant and animal tissues, meristems, epithelial and connective tissues, skeletal systems, joints, and key scientific milestones.

Tissue

A group of cells similar in structure that work together to perform a specific function.

Division of Labour

The specialization of different groups of cells or tissues to perform specific functions in a multicellular organism, increasing overall efficiency.

Meristematic Tissue

Plant tissue made of actively dividing cells characterized by small cell size, thin cell walls, dense cytoplasm, and prominent nuclei.

Apical Meristem

Growth zone located at the tips of roots and shoots that enables plants to grow in length.

Lateral Meristem

Meristematic tissue located along the circumference of stems that increases the girth or diameter of the plant.

Intercalary Meristem

Meristematic tissue located at the base of internodes or nodes that allows plants like grass to regenerate after cutting or grazing.

Differentiation

The process by which meristematic tissue cells lose the ability to divide and specialize in structure and function to become permanent tissue.

Permanent Tissue

Plant tissue composed of specialized cells that have lost the ability to divide and perform specific functions such as support, transport, or storage.

Epidermis

The outermost single layer of flat, tightly packed cells that protects plant parts from mechanical injury, water loss, and pathogen invasion.

Cuticle

A waxy layer of cutin covering the epidermis that reduces water loss during transpiration and protects against mechanical injury.

Stomata

Pores present in the leaf epidermis that facilitate gaseous exchange and transpiration.

Parenchyma

A simple permanent tissue composed of living, loosely packed cells with thin walls that functions primarily in food storage and photosynthesis.

Collenchyma

A simple permanent supporting tissue composed of living cells with unevenly thickened corners containing pectin, providing flexibility and mechanical support.

Sclerenchyma

A simple permanent tissue composed mostly of dead cells with thick, lignified walls, providing hardness and strength to plant parts.

Xylem

A complex permanent vascular tissue that transports water and minerals from roots upward and provides structural support.

Phloem

A complex permanent tissue composed mostly of living cells (such as sieve tubes and companion cells) that transports synthesized food from leaves to other plant parts.

Epithelial Tissue

An animal tissue composed of tightly packed cells forming protective outer coverings and inner linings of organs, adapted for exchange, absorption, or secretion.

Connective Tissue

An animal tissue that connects and supports other tissues, consisting of specialized cells embedded in an extracellular matrix.

Tendon

A strong, flexible band of dense connective tissue that connects muscle to bone to transfer force and cause movement.

Ligament

A connective tissue that joins bone to bone at joints, providing stability and limiting excessive movement.

Cartilage

A soft, flexible connective tissue with a jelly-like matrix that cushions bone ends at joints for shock absorption.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscle tissue attached to bones, composed of long, unbranched, multinucleate, and striated cylindrical fibers.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle tissue found in internal organ walls, composed of spindle-shaped, unstriated cells with a single nucleus.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary, fatigue-resistant muscle tissue found only in the heart, made of cylindrical, branched cells with faint striations and a single nucleus.

Neuron

A specialized nerve cell that receives, processes, and transmits biological signals; consists of a cell body, dendrites, and an axon.

Musculoskeletal System

The organ system composed of bones, muscles, joints, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments that facilitates posture, support, and voluntary movement.

Ball and Socket Joint

A joint, such as the shoulder joint, where the rounded end of one bone fits into a cup-like cavity, permitting movement in multiple planes.

Hinge Joint

A joint, such as the elbow or knee, that allows bending and straightening in a single direction.

Pivot Joint

A joint, such as the one between the skull and the backbone, that enables side-to-side rotational movement.

Fixed Joint

An immovable joint, such as those connecting flat bones in the skull, designed to protect underlying organs.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A bacterium causing crown gall disease in plants that is widely utilized in genetic engineering to introduce beneficial genes into plant cells.