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Plant and Animal Tissues
A single cell can only achieve so much on its own. Therefore, similar cells work
together as a team to perform the same function. These groups of cells are called
tissues.
Tissues - "The Teams of Workers"
A tissue is a group of similar cells performing a specific function.
Most plants and animals possess a tissue system. For example, the human body has:
Epithelial tissue covering the skin
Muscular tissue made up of muscle cells which, by contraction, bring about
movements
In plants:
Conducting tissue conducts water upwards from the soil to the aerial parts and
food prepared from the leaves to the lower parts
Several tissues contributing to a specific function form an organ, and many organs
acting together form an organ system. Organ systems together constitute the
organism. For example, the root system and the shoot system constitute the plant
organism.
Plant Tissues
Plant tissues are of two types:
Meristematic tissue: Cells can multiply to produce new cells.
Permanent tissue: Non-dividing and specialized cells.
Meristematic Tissue or Meristem
Meristematic tissue is found at all growing points of a plant, such as the tips of roots,
stems, and branches, and between the bark and the wood of trees.
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Diagram A shows a longitudinal section of a plant stem, highlighting the central
meristem surrounded by leaf and axillary bud structures. Diagram B illustrates a
microscopic view of meristematic cells undergoing cell division, with visible nuclei
and chromosomes.
Chief characteristics of meristematic tissue:
1. Cells are small.
2. Cells are usually cubical.
3. Cell wall is thin.
4. Nuclei are large.
Permanent Tissue
The cells in these tissues may be living or dead, with the absence of a nucleus
indicating dead cells.
The three main types are:
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1. Protective
2. Supporting
3. Conducting
The supporting tissues are of several types, the most important ones being:
Parenchyma
Collenchyma
Sclerenchyma
Parenchyma
Large, thin-walled cells, oval, circular, or polygonal in shape
Usually a single large vacuole is present
Found in soft parts of plants, such as in the cortex (outer region) and in the pith
(central region)
Collenchyma
Made up of cells with thickened cell walls at the corners
Found below the epidermis and in the leaf stalks
Helps support the parts of stems
The image provides a microscopic view of collenchyma tissue, illustrating the
longitudinal and cross-sectional arrangements of the cells. The thick cell walls,
especially at the corners, provide structural support to the plant.
Sclerenchyma
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Composed of long, narrow, dead cells
Cells develop very thick walls due to the deposition of lignin
Provides strength to plant parts
Found in stems and veins of the leaves
Sclerenchyma cells are grouped into three categories: protective, supporting, and
conducting tissues. These tissues can be further classified as simple if they are made
up of only one type of cell. Fibers and certain textiles are made from plant fibers such
as those of jute and hemp. The hard shells of walnuts and the gritty masses in the
skin and pulp of pears are made up of sclerenchyma cells, also known as stone
tissue.
Conducting Tissue
Conducting tissue provides a passage for water and dissolved materials to move up
and down in the plant.
The two types are:
Xylem
Phloem
Xylem
Cells are elongated and thick-walled
Provide passages for upward movement of soil water and dissolved materials
absorbed from the soil by the roots to other parts of the plant
This image shows a detailed cross-section of a plant stem, clearly showing the
different layers including the epidermis, sclerenchyma cells, phloem, cambium, and
xylem layers. The xylem and pholem also contain parenchyma cells.
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Older xylem tissue forms the wood and does not participate in transport. The age of
a tree can be determined by counting its annual rings.
Xylem consists of:
Tracheids: Elongated cells placed end to end forming a tube, with highly
lignified cell walls that provide mechanical support.
Vessels or tracheae: Tube-like structures made up of elongated cells placed
end to end, meant for transporting water and minerals.
Xylem parenchyma: Living cells associated with the xylem that serve for
storage and help in the conduction of water and minerals.
This diagram illustrates the various shapes of tracheids and vessel elements in
plants, highlighting their unique structural characteristics.
Animal Tissues
The main kinds of animal tissues are:
1. Epithelial tissue
2. Connective tissue
3. Muscle tissue
4. Nervous tissue
Epithelial Tissue
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Epithelial tissue is a thin, protective continuous sheet of cells that covers the surface
of the body and lines various body cavities and internal organs, including the blood
vessels.
Examples:
Outermost layer of skin
Lining surfaces of the mouth, nose, lungs, and stomach
Epithelial cells may be flat, cuboidal, or columnar in shape and fit tightly together
leaving no space between them. The tissue functions for protection, absorption,
secretion, and sensory perception.
Its four distinct structurally categories are:
Squamous epithelium
Cuboidal epithelium
Columnar epithelium
Ciliated columnar epithelium
Glandular epithelium
Stratified epithelium
This image showcases different types of epithelial tissues, including squamous,
cuboidal, columnar, ciliated columnar, stratified epithelium, each characterized by
distinct cell shapes and arrangements.
Squamous Epithelium
Composed of thin, flat cells with prominent nuclei. Found lining the mouth, nasal
cavities, blood vessels, and lymph vessels.
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Cuboidal Epithelium
Found in some parts of kidney tubules and in some glandular ducts.
Columnar Epithelium
Contains vertically arranged cylindrical or brick-like cells, commonly found in the
inner lining of the stomach and intestines.
Ciliated Columnar Epithelium
Found in the lining of the trachea (wind pipe), these cells have thread-like
protoplasmic projections called cilia at their free ends.
Glandular Epithelium
Contains cells which secrete certain chemical substances. Common in the lining of
the stomach and the intestine.
Stratified Epithelium
Found in the skin and the cornea, composed of several layers of the same or different
kinds of epithelial cells.
Connective Tissue
Connective tissue binds one tissue with another and also connects various organs. It
has an abundance of intercellular substance (the matrix), fewer cellular elements,
and fibers.
It is classified as follows:
I. Connective tissue proper
II. Supportive connective tissue
III. Fluid connective tissue
I. Connective Tissue Proper
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Serves for packing and binding the organs. Its three sub categories are as follows:
Areolar (packing) tissue: Widely occurring beneath the epidermis of skin, makes
the skin elastic.
Adipose (fat) tissue: Contains cells which store fat, forming padding under the
skin and around kidneys and eyeballs.
Fibrous connective tissue: Composed of elongated cells referred to as fibers,
bundled together by areolar tissue, forming tendons and ligaments.
II. Supportive Connective Tissue
Cartilage: Non-porous tissue with a thickened intercellular substance (matrix).
Bone: Hard porous tissue with a good supply of blood vessels and nerves.
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This image shows the composition of the three types of connective tissue including
fibrous tissue with cells and fibers, cartilage with cells and matrix, and bone with a
Haversian canal and bone cells.
III. Fluid Connective Tissue
Blood: Composed of the liquid part (plasma) and the cellular part (red blood
cells, white blood cells, and platelets).
Lymph: Fluid surrounding the body cells, essentially blood plasma that has
oozed out of the blood vessels, containing white blood cells but not red blood
cells.
This image presents the three main types of blood cells including red blood cells,
white blood cells, and platelets.
Both blood and lymph are mainly concerned with transportation and also with
immunity.
Muscle Tissue
Muscle tissue forms the muscles of the body. Muscles can contract and relax, helping
the body in its movements.
Three kinds of muscles:
Striated muscles
Unstriated muscles
Cardiac muscles
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This image displays the unique structural characteristics of the different muscle
tissue types, including striated muscle tissue with its cylindrical cells and dark/light
bands, unstriated muscle tissue with its long, thin cells, and cardiac muscle tissue
with its intercalated discs and branched network of cells.
Striated Muscles
Under the control of our will, made of long fibers (cells) which are nucleated and
striated. They constitute about 50% of the body weight and are found in the arms,
legs, face, and neck.
Unstriated Muscles
Not under the control of our will, made up of spindle-shaped/slender tapering cells
which are uninucleated. They are found in the walls of the intestine, muscles of the
iris of the eye, skin, lining of blood vessels, urinary bladder, and uterus.
Cardiac Muscles
Involuntary in function and found only in the walls of the heart. The fibers are
striated, uninucleated, and branched.
Nervous or Neural Tissue
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Nervous tissue constitutes the nervous system and is made up of specialized
elongated cells called neurons.
This image shows a detailed diagram of a neuron, including key components such as
dendrites, cell body (perikaryon), axon, myelin sheath, and axon endings.
Each nerve cell consists of a cell body (perikaryon or cyton) containing the nucleus
and one or more elongated hair-like extensions called dendrites or dendrons.
One of these, the axon, may be very long. Axons bundled together form a nerve. The
nerve tissue is concerned with perception and responses of animals.
Summary of Animal Tissues
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Tissue Type Subtypes Characteristics
Squamous, Cuboidal, Columnar,
Thin protective layer, cells may be
Epithelial Ciliated Columnar, Glandular,
flat, cuboidal, or columnar
Stratified
Connective tissue proper, Abundance of intercellular
Connective Supportive connective tissue, substance, fewer cellular elements,
Fluid connective tissue fibers
Contractile, helps in body
Muscular Striated, Unstriated, Cardiac
movements
Specialized elongated cells that
Nervous
Neurons conduct impulses, form the nervous
(Neural)
system
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