This document provides basic information about different types of tissue.
Epithelial Tissue
Tissue Function Structure Location
Simple squamous • Sites of diffusion and • Single layer of thin, • Lines alveoli,
epithelial filtration flat cells capillary walls, blood vessels,
• Nuclei are broad and Bowman’s capsule of kidney
thin • Covers membranes
• Functions in secretion • Single layer • Covers ovaries
and absorption • Cube shaped • Lines kidney tubules
Simple cuboidal epithelial • Centrally located, • Lines ducts of some glands
spherical nuclei
Simple columnar epithelial • Protects underlying • Single layer • Lines uterus
tissues • Elongated cells, thick • Lines ovarian tube
(microvilli, goblet cells) • Secretes digestive tissue (ciliated)
(ciliated and non-ciliated) fluids • Nuclei located near • Lines most organs of the
• Absorbs digested basement membrane digestive system(non-
nutrients ciliated)
• Microvilli increases
the surface area for
more absorption
• Goblet cells secrete • Appear to be layered • Lines passages of
mucus that cilia sweep • Layer effect due to respiratory system (ciliated)
Pseudo-stratified columnar away nuclei being at two or • Epididymis, Vas deferens
epithelial (ciliated and • Cilia move captured more levels (tube carries sperm from
non-ciliated) particles toward the • Possess cilia testis (non-ciliated)
pharynx (In Trachea)
• Prevents water loss • Relatively thick • Form outer layer of the skin
from underlying • Cells divide in deeper • Keratinization produces a
Stratified squamous tissues layer pushing old cells covering of dry, tough
epithelial (keratinized and • Blocks chemicals and up and out material of dead cells
non-keratinized) micro-organisms from • Lines mouth, throat,
entering vagina, and anal canal(non-
keratinized)
• Provides protection • Two or three layers of • Lines larger ducts of
cuboidal cells mammary glands, salivary
Stratified cuboidal glands, pancreas, and sweat
epithelial glands
• Provides expandable • Several layers of • Lines ureters and part of
Transitional lining cuboidal cells urethra
Epithelial • Prevents diffusion • Tissue is able to • Forms inner lining of
from urinary tract stretch urinary bladder
• Protection • Several layers of cells • Found in male urethra
Stratified columnar • Superficial –
epithelial elongated
• Basal – cube-shaped
Glandular epithelium Produce and secrete • Found within • One or more of these cells
substances into ducts or columnar and constitutes a gland
body fluids cuboidal epithelial
Connective tissue:
Connective tissue Proper (Loose)
Tissue Function Structure Location
• Binds skin to • Delicate, thin • Beneath layers of epithelium
underlying organs membranes where its blood vessels
Loose Connective tissue • Fills spaces between • Made mainly of nourish nearby epithelial
(areolar tissue) muscles fibroblasts separated cells
by a gel-like matrix
• Cushion joints and • Cells storing fat in • Lies beneath the skin,
organs droplets crowding out between muscles, around the
Adipose tissue (fat) • Insulation other cell types kidneys, etc.
• Stores energy
• Fibers form a soft • Network of reticular • Lymphoid organs (lymph
internal skeleton fibers in a typical nodes, bone marrow, and
Reticular (stroma) that supports loose ground spleen) and liver.
other cell types
substance; reticular
including white blood
cells, mast cells, and cells lie on the
macrophages. network.
Connective tissue Proper (Dense)
• Attaches muscles to • Primarily parallel • Tendons
bones or to muscles; collagen fibers; a few
attaches bones to elastic fibers; major • Most ligaments
bones; withstands
cell type is the
Dense regular great tensile stress
fibroblast. • Aponeuroses
when pulling force is
applied in one
direction.
• Withstands tension • Primarily irregularly Fibrous capsules of organs and
exerted in many arranged collagen of joints; dermis of the skin;
Dense irregular directions; fibers; some elastic submucosa of digestive tract.
• Provides structural fibers; fibroblast is the
strength.
major cell type
• Allows tissue to • Dense regular Walls of large arteries;
recoil after stretching; connective tissue
• maintains pulsatile containing a high Within certain ligaments
flow of blood proportion of elastic associated with the vertebral
Elastic through arteries; column;
fibers.
• aids passive recoil of
lungs following within the walls of the
inspiration bronchial tubes
Connective tissue Specific (Cartilage)
Tissue Function Structure Location
• Supports and Amorphous but firm Forms most of the embryonic
reinforces; matrix; collagen fibers skeleton; covers the ends of
form an imperceptible long bones in joint cavities;
• serves as resilient network; chondroblasts forms costal cartilages of the
Hyaline cartilage cushion; produce the matrix and ribs; cartilages of the nose,
when mature trachea, and larynx.
• resists compressive (chondrocytes) lie in
stress lacunae
• Tensile strength Matrix similar to but less Intervertebral discs; pubic
allows it to absorb firm than that in hyaline symphysis; discs of knee joint
Fibrocartilage compressive shock cartilage; thick collagen (meniscus).
fibers predominate
• Maintains the shape Similar to hyaline Supports the external ear
of a structure while cartilage, but more elastic (pinna);
Elastic cartilage allowing great fibers in matrix.
flexibility Epiglottis
Connective tissue Specific (Bone or Osseous)
• Internally supports • Most rigid connective • Osteocytes (bone cells)
body structures tissue form concentric circles in
Compact bone (Cortical) • Protection • Contains minerals cross-section
• Attachment for between its cells • Osteon – Haversian system
muscles • Has great amount of
• Stores and releases collagen
minerals (Calcium )
• Contains red marrow • Less dense than • ends of long bones,
(site for compact bone , proximal to joints and
hematopoiesis) lighter softer, weaker within the interior of
and more flexibility vertebrae;
Spongy bone (trabecular • Support and protect than compact bone;
or cancellous bone) bone marrow. • Most of the internal
composed of small
needlelike or flat structure of short, flat, and
pieces of bone called irregular bones
trabeculae and has
much open space.
Connective tissue Specific (Blood)
• Transport respiratory • Red and white blood • Form in red bone marrow
gases, nutrients, cells and platelets in of long bones
wastes, and other a fluid matrix
substances.
(plasma). • Inside the blood vessels.
Blood
• Maintains stable
internal conditions.
Connective tissue Specific (Lymph)
Tissue Function Structure Location
• Transport fat and • Different types of Forms in tissue and located
other large molecules White blood cells in a inside the lymphatic vessels.
to the cardiovascular fluid matrix (Lymph)
system;
• collect and transport
Lymph tissue fluid back to
circulation.
• Fluid matrix (house)
of immune system
Muscular tissue
• Move head, trunk, • Long, cylindrical, • Attached to bones
limbs, facial • multinucleate cells
Skeletal muscle tissue expression
• Controlled by
conscious effort
(voluntary)
• Actions are • No striations • Walls of hollow internal
involuntary • Shorter organs
Smooth muscle tissue • Moves food through • Spindle-shaped
digestive tract, etc. • cells with central
nuclei;
• cells arranged closely
to form sheets.
• Pumps blood through • Branching, striated, • Found only in the heart
heart chambers and • generally uni-nucleate
Cardiac muscle blood vessels cells that
• Involuntary • interdigitate at
specialized junctions
(intercalated discs).
Nervous tissue
Tissue Function Structure Location
Neurons transmit electrical • Neurons are • Brain, spinal cord, ganglia
signals from sensory branching cells; cell
and nerves.
receptors and to effectors processes that may be
(muscles and glands) quite long extend
from the nucleus-
Nervous which control their
containing cell body;
activity; supporting cells
support and protect • also contributing to
neurons. nervous tissue are
non-excitable
supporting cells