Tissues of the Body
Four Main Categories
Epithelial Tissue
Cell types
Squamous, or
flat
Cuboidal
Columnar
If there is only a single layer it is called ‘simple’
If there are lots of
layers it is called
‘stratified’
Sometimes a single
layer can look like
multiple layers. This is called
‘pseudostratified’
The wall of the bladder
has cells of many
different shapes to
allow for stretching. This is called
transitional epithelium.
Types of Connective Tissue
Areolar Tissue
A loose, semifluid tissue containing collagen and elastic
fibres.
This tissue often holds internal organs in their position
and is also found in the subcutaneous layer of the skin.
Adipose Tissue
A type of areolar tissue which contains mainly fat cells. It is found in the subcutaneous layer of the skin, around
the kidneys and heart, and in the breasts.
Dense Connective Tissue
This consists mostly of collagen arranged in parallel
bundles, which makes it very strong.
Tendons and ligaments are made of this tissue
Elastic Connective Tissue
This mainly consists of elastic fibres which give the
tissue a yellowish colour.
It is found in the respiratory system and the walls of arteries
Reticular Connective
Tissue
This contains lots of thing fibres which branch to form
a supportive network
Reticular tissue is found in lymph nodes, the spleen and red bone marrow
Cartilage
This is a strong, resilient tissue, more flexible than
bone. There are three types.
1. Hyaline cartilage – found in synovial joints and
forming part of the nose
2. Fibrocartilage – much tougher, containing large
amounts of collagen, this is found in the intervertebral
discs
3. Elastic Cartilage – this has more elastic fibres
and is found in the external ear and epiglottis
Bone (osseous) Tissue and Blood, are
the final two connective tissues
Muscle Tissue
This has the ability to contract and create movement.
The three types are:
Cardiac Skeletal
Smooth
Nerve Tissue
This category includes both nerve cells and glia.