Skip to main content
Back

Anatomy & Physiology: Tissue Types and Characteristics

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/34

Terms in this set (34)

  • What are the four basic tissue types in the human body?
    Epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissues.
  • What is epithelial tissue and its main functions?
    Epithelial tissue is a sheet of cells covering body surfaces or lining cavities. Functions include protection, absorption, filtration, excretion, secretion, and sensory reception.
  • Name the five special characteristics of epithelial tissue.
    1. Polarity 2. Specialized contacts 3. Supported by connective tissue 4. Avascular but innervated 5. Regeneration.
  • What does polarity mean in epithelial tissue?
    Cells have an apical surface exposed to the body surface or cavity and a basal surface attached to underlying connective tissue via the basal lamina.
  • How are epithelial cells connected to each other?
    By specialized contacts such as tight junctions and desmosomes that bind adjacent cells into continuous sheets.
  • What is the basement membrane in epithelial tissue?
    A structure made of basal and reticular lamina that reinforces the epithelial sheet, resists stretching, and defines the epithelial boundary.
  • How is epithelial tissue nourished if it is avascular?
    It is nourished by diffusion from underlying connective tissues and is supplied by nerve fibers.
  • How are epithelial tissues classified by layers and cell shape?
    By number of layers: simple (one layer) or stratified (multiple layers). By shape: squamous (flat), cuboidal (cube-shaped), or columnar (tall).
  • What is the function and location of simple squamous epithelium?
    Allows rapid diffusion and filtration; found in kidney glomeruli, air sacs of lungs, lining of heart, blood vessels, and serous membranes.
  • Describe simple cuboidal epithelium.
    Single layer of cube-like cells with large, spherical nuclei; involved in secretion and absorption; found in kidney tubules and gland ducts.
  • What are the features of simple columnar epithelium?
    Single layer of tall cells, often with microvilli or cilia; involved in absorption and secretion; found in digestive tract and uterine tubes.
  • What is pseudostratified columnar epithelium?
    Single layer of cells of varying heights that appears stratified; often ciliated; involved in secretion and mucus movement; found in respiratory tract.
  • What is the main role of stratified squamous epithelium?
    Protection in areas subject to abrasion; keratinized type forms skin surface, nonkeratinized lines moist body openings.
  • What is transitional epithelium and where is it found?
    Stratified epithelium that stretches to permit urine storage; found in urinary bladder, ureters, and part of urethra.
  • How are glands classified based on product release and cell number?
    By product release: endocrine (ductless, secrete hormones) and exocrine (secrete onto surfaces or cavities). By cell number: unicellular or multicellular.
  • What are the three modes of secretion in multicellular exocrine glands?
    Merocrine: secretion by exocytosis; holocrine: entire cell ruptures; apocrine: apex of cell pinches off.
  • What are the main functions of connective tissue?
    Binding and support, protection, insulation, energy storage, and transport of substances.
  • What are the three main components of connective tissue?
    Ground substance, fibers (collagen, elastic, reticular), and cells.
  • What is the difference between fibroblasts and fibrocytes?
    Fibroblasts are immature cells that secrete matrix; fibrocytes are mature cells that maintain the matrix.
  • Name the four main classes of connective tissue.
    Connective tissue proper, cartilage, bone, and blood.
  • What are the subclasses of connective tissue proper?
    Loose connective tissue (areolar, adipose, reticular) and dense connective tissue (regular, irregular, elastic).
  • Describe areolar connective tissue.
    Gel-like matrix with all three fiber types; supports and binds other tissues; contains fibroblasts, macrophages, and fat cells.
  • What is the function of adipose tissue?
    Stores energy as fat, insulates against heat loss, cushions and protects organs.
  • What is the role of reticular connective tissue?
    Forms a soft internal skeleton (stroma) that supports blood cells in lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow.
  • What are the characteristics of dense regular connective tissue?
    Closely packed collagen fibers running parallel; high tensile strength; found in tendons and ligaments.
  • What distinguishes dense irregular connective tissue?
    Collagen fibers arranged irregularly; resists tension from many directions; found in dermis and joint capsules.
  • What is elastic connective tissue and where is it found?
    Contains elastic fibers allowing stretch and recoil; found in ligaments between vertebrae and walls of large arteries.
  • What are the three types of cartilage?
    Hyaline (most abundant, glassy), elastic (more elastic fibers), and fibrocartilage (strong, found in intervertebral discs).
  • What are the main features of bone tissue?
    Hard, calcified matrix with collagen; supports and protects; contains osteoblasts and osteocytes; richly vascularized.
  • What makes blood a connective tissue?
    It has cells suspended in a fluid matrix (plasma) and functions in transport of gases, nutrients, and wastes.
  • What are the three types of muscle tissue?
    Skeletal (voluntary, striated), cardiac (involuntary, striated, intercalated discs), and smooth (involuntary, no striations).
  • What are the two main cell types in nervous tissue?
    Neurons (transmit electrical signals) and glial cells (support, insulate, and protect neurons).
  • What are the three types of membranes in the body?
    Cutaneous (skin), mucous (line body cavities open to exterior), and serous (line closed ventral body cavities).
  • What are the two major ways tissue repair occurs?
    Regeneration (replacement with same tissue) and fibrosis (replacement with connective tissue scar).