Body Tissue Types, Structure & Function

Overview

What are Body Tissues?

• Groups of cells with similar or related functions.
• Work as part of larger structures like organs.
• Organizational levels in the body:
  • Body: Comparable to a corporation.
  • Organ Systems: Like industrial complexes with factories.
  • Organs: Distinct structures inside the body.
  • Tissues: Teams of workers taking on tasks.
  • Cells: Like individual workers, at least 200 types.

Types of Body Tissues

• Epithelial
• Connective
• Muscle
• Nervous

Other Types of Tissue

• Terms like soft, vascular, or brain tissue are informal.
• Bone Tissue: A type of connective tissue, includes mineralized bone and bone marrow.
• Brain Tissue: Includes gray matter (neuron clusters) and white matter (axon bundles).

Function

What do Body Tissues Do?

• Functions vary by tissue type.

Epithelial Tissue

• Forms boundary layers.
• Protects inner tissues from the outside.
• Acts as gatekeepers.
• Cells arranged neatly with little space between them.

Connective Tissue

• Holds the body together.
• Links body parts and systems.
• Cells have more space, filled with a matrix.
• Matrix determines tissue characteristics.

Muscle Tissue

• Responsible for movement.
• Consists of intertwined fibers.
• Supports internal movement, like heart pumping and digestive tract function.
• Electrically reactive to signals.

Nervous Tissue

• Composed of fibers, forms connections for signal transmission.
• Sends and relays signals between body parts.
• Electrically and chemically reactive.

Most Abundant Tissue

• Connective Tissue is the most abundant and widespread.
• Includes skin, bones, blood, lymph, etc.

Additional Notes

• Tissue is fundamental to body structure.
• Healthcare providers may take tissue samples for diagnosis.
• Important to understand tissue-related health issues.

Care at Cleveland Clinic

• Offers lifelong medical care.
• Provides information on tissue-related health issues.