FACULTY OF MEDICINE
School of Biomedical Sciences (SBMS)
ANAT1018 & ANAT1020 COURSES
HISTOLOGICAL ANATOMY: Cells & Tissues
Structure & function of the four basic tissues.
Lecture objective
Identify & describe the location, function, & structure of the four basic tissues.
Reading: Chapter 4 McKinley
Levels of organisation in the human body
Figure 1.3
The tissue level of organisation
Tissues are
- groups of cells that function in a collective manner
- they perform one or more specific functions
epithelial muscle
nervous connective
4 tissue types Table 4.1
1. Epithelial Tissue - covers body surfaces, lines cavities & forms glands
2. Muscle Tissue – made up of contractile cells and is responsible for
movement
3. Nervous Tissue – receives, transmits & integrates information to
control the activities of the body
4. Connective Tissue – underlies or supports the other 3 tissues
The 4 tissue types vary in the:
• structure & function of their cells
• the presence & content of an extracellular matrix
cells
respond to physical stresses
produce, monitor, and maintain the ECM
extracellular matrix (ECM)
• substance produced by the cells
• “extra-” = located outside of cells
• can contain protein, salts, H2O, dissolved molecules
epithelial tissue – where?
covers the external surface of the body,
lines internal closed body cavities & body tubes
Tortora 2014
epithelial tissue
functions:
1. Physical protection – mechanical & chemical
2. Regulate the movement of substances into & out of the body
3. Secretions – some epithelial cells (exocrine cells) produce secretions
4. Sensory perception richly innervated eg. touch receptors in the skin
structure:
1. Avascular
2. Richly innervated
3. High regeneration capacity
epithelial tissue – structural classification
Classified by layers & SURFACE cell shape
simple = single layer
stratified “layers”
see Table 4.2 *pseudostratified
muscle tissue
1. Skeletal
2. Cardiac
3. Smooth
Functions of muscle tissue:
• Movement & support of body parts
• Movement of materials within the body
• Temperature regulation (skeletal muscle)
neural tissue -
function
COMMUNICATION
COLLECT – PROCESS – RESPOND
• Monitors internal & external
environment
• Controls & adjusts the activity
of other body systems
dendrites
neural tissue - structure
2 types of cells
1. NEURONS: Cell
body
• Perform the communication, processing &
control functions
• Excitable - develop action potentials in
response to physical and chemical stimuli
• High metabolic rate & protein synthesis axon
(O2 demand)
• Longevity
• Non-mitotic
Telodendria &
There are approximately 1011 neurons in the human brain! Synaptic knobs
McKinley 2015
neural tissue - structure
2. GLIAL CELLS:
• supporting cells
• 5 to 10 times more glial cells than neurons
• DO NOT propagate action potentials
• Maintain & support the neurons
• Capable of mitosis
Schwann cell
connective tissue
functions:
1. Protects
2. Binds together
3. Supports organs (structurally & functionally)
structure:
Cells are separated by lots of extracellular matrix
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
1. Connective tissue 2. Supporting connective
tissue 3. Fluid connective tissues
proper
Loose Dense Cartilage Bone Blood Lymph
eg. adipose eg. tendons
& ligaments
Adapted from McKinley Figure 4.8, p97
all connective tissues consist of
Cells
Different cells for different types of connective tissue
Extracellular matrix
Protein fibres + Ground substance
ADULT CONNECTIVE TISSUE
2. Supporting connective
1. Connective tissue proper tissue 3. Fluid connective tissue
Loose Dense Cartilage Bone Blood Lymph
fibro- chondro- erythro-*
osteo- leuko- lympho-
Adapted from McKinley Figure 4.9
ADULT CONNECTIVE TISSUE
connective tissue proper fibro- -cyte mature cell/maintains
cartilage chondro- -blast bud, builds
bone osteo-
-clast (only in bone) break down
blood leuko-
lymph lympho-
all connective tissues consist of
Cells
Different cells for different types of connective tissue
e.g. fibroblasts / fibrocyte (connective tissue proper)
chondrocytes (cartilage)
osteocytes (bone)
Extracellular matrix
Protein fibres + Ground substance
Connective tissue ECM – 3 types of protein fibres
Collagen: Elastic: Reticular:
- most abundant* - branched and wavy - thin, branching fibres
- high tensile strength - stretch but return to shape - interwoven
- smaller - structural framework
- flexible
- long, unbranching
Ross & Pawlina 2011 McKinley et al 2015
Connective tissue ECM – ground substance
- mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, salts, & water
- consistency = watery, gel, semi-solid, or solid
Mesenchyme (embryonic connective tissue)
ALL adult connective tissue develops from mesenchyme
Not ALL embryonic cells differentiate into their specialised cells
some remain in the vicinity of the adult tissue as undifferentiated
mesenchymal stem cells or progenitor cells
à replenish & repair adult connective tissue
