CELL STRUCTURE &

FUNCTION
2.5 :
Cells are grouped into tissues
(A) Animal

CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

Structures & functions:

Cell membrane and
organelles
Prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells

Cells are grouped into

tissue

Animal

Plant

Cell transport
Microscopic structures
of plant and animal
cell

Epithelial
Nerve
Muscle
Connective

Meristem
Parenchyma
Collenchyma
Sclerenchyma
Xylem
Phloem

Types
&
Specialized
cell

From a ball of cells

(embryo)

Muscle
cells

Nerve
cells

osteocytes

Blood cells

cell
organization
cell

system

tissue

An integrated
group of cell with
a common
structure,
function, or both.

organ

epithelial
squamous

nerve

columnar

cuboidal

Types of
tissues

muscle
Striated
muscle

Smooth
muscle

connective
Cardiac
muscle

cartilage

blood

Bone

At the end of this lesson, student should be

able to:

Describe the structure, distribution and

function of the following cell:
a) Epithelial
b) Nerve

A) Epithelial Tissues

Simplest tissues.

It can be built up into tissues of

varying complexity.

Lining tissues : in it simplest

form, it consists of a single layer
of cells covering the surface of
the body and the organs within
it.

A) Epithelial Tissues

Also lines various spaces and

tubes ( in which situation it is
usually referred to as
endothelium).

Firmly attached to each other.

Rest on basement membrane

Have free surface

basement membrane

A) Epithelial Tissues
MAIN FUNCTION

Protection

OTHER FUNCTIONS
To increase the surface area for absorption
of material
Exchange materials by diffusion

As a gland ; secrete mucus and enzyme

EPITHELIAL

TYPES
SIMPLE

- single layer of cells

STRATIFIED
- multiple layers of cells
PSEUDO-STRATIFIED

-single layer but it appears to be

stratified because the cells vary
in length
SQUAMOUS

Cell
Shape

CUBOIDAL
COLUMNAR

TYPES OF EPITHELIAL TISSUES

Simple Epithelial
Tissues

Stratified
Epithelial
Tissues

Simple squamous
Epithelial tissues

Stratified squamous
Epithelial tissues

Simple cuboidal
Epithelial tissues

Stratified
columnar
Epithelial tissues

Simple columnar
Epithelial tissues

Pseudostratified
Epithelial
Tissues

i) Simple Squamous
Epithelial tissues

Cells are flattened

The sheet of cell is delicate, thin, and
leaky

basement membrane

EPITHELIAL: SIMPLE SQUAMOUS

FUNCTION
Exchange of material
Lubricates the movement between adjacent
surface
The thinness of squamous facilitates diffusion across it

DISTRIBUTION
Lining of blood vessels
Air sacs of lungs

ii) Simple Cuboidal

Epithelial tissues

Cells are cubical in shape (dice-shaped)

View from free surface are polygonal
Have similar height and width
Nucleus in the centre

basement membrane

EPITHELIAL: SIMPLE CUBOIDAL

FUNCTION
Specialized for secretion

DISTRIBUTION
Make up the epithelial of kidney tubules
In many glands ; thyroid & salivary glands

iii)Simple Columnar
Epithelial tissues

Cells are elongated at the right angle of the

basement membrane
Cell are taller compare to their width
Large cytoplasmic volume
Nucleus found lower in cell, closer to the cell
base
Have numerous goblet cells (secrete mucus)

basement membrane

EPITHELIAL: SIMPLE COLUMNAR

FUNCTION

Secretion & absorption

Secrete digestive juices and absorb nutrient
DISTRIBUTION
Linings of small intestine (many microvilli)
Upper part of respiratory tract

Stratified Epithelial Tissues

Stratified squamous
Epithelial tissues
Stratified columnar
Epithelial tissues

i) Stratified Squamous
Epithelial Tissues

Several layer of cells

Lower ones are columnar & metabolically
active
Division of lower cells causes the older ones to
pushed upward forward surface & becoming
flattened as they move
Outer layer continuously
sloughed off and replaced
from below

EPITHELIAL: STRATIFIED SQUAMOUS

FUNCTION
Provide protection from abrasion

DISTRIBUTION
Outer skin
Linings of esophagus, anus and vagina.

ii) Stratified Columnar

Epithelial Tissues

Consists of only 2 or 3 layers of cuboidal or

low columnar cells

EPITHELIAL: STRATIFIED COLUMNAR

FUNCTION
Provide more robust lining

DISTRIBUTION
Exocrine glands
Salivary glands

Pseudostratified Epithelium Tissues

The appearance looks like more than one layer

of cells
True simple epithelial because all cells rest on
basement membrane
Nucleus disposed at different levels.
Cilia are present
Mucus - secreting
cilia

EPITHELIAL: PSEUDOSTRATIFIED

FUNCTION
Provide replacement for cells lost or damaged
Form mucous membrane
Cilia move the film of mucus along surface

DISTRIBUTION
Respiratory tract

Figure 40.1x Epithelial tissues

Figure 40.1 The structure and function of epithelial tissues

Identification of cell
[shape, layer of cell]
Function
Distribution

FINISH FOR
EPITHELIAL TISSUES

Nerve tissues

Include:
NEURONS
NEUROGLIA

Nerve tissues

Nerve cells

B) Nerve Cell
Include neuron and neuroglia or supporting cells

NEURONS

Fundamental unit of the nervous system

Having structure and properties that allow it to
conduct signals by taking advantage of the electrical
charge across its cell membrane

B) Nerve Cell
Include neuron and neuroglia or supporting cells

NEURONS

The pathway of the communication between the brain

and the body

Transmit signals called nerve impulse

Receptor
(skin)

Impulse

Effector
(mucle/gland)

Impulse pass along the nervous from organ that

receive stimuli (receptor) such as skin to organ that
effect change (effector) such as muscle or gland

Three part of neuron

Cell body

Contain nucleus and other organelles

Dendrites

Are short, highly branched

Receive incoming stimulation and
conduct electric event to the cell
body

Axon

Axons much longer than dendrite

Are enclose by an insulating layer
called the myelin sheath
Single fibre extension that conduct
impulse away from the body cell

Part of neuron
Myelin sheath

formed from Schwann

enclose the axon
Function: as electrical
insulation in a neuron
and
accelerates impulse
transmission
Nodes of Ranvier

Further increase the speed of

transmission
( found throughout the Myelin sheath )

Part of neuron

Short, highly branched

received incoming stimuli and

conduct electric event to cell body.

-Single fiber extension

Dendrites

-Conduct impulse away from

the body cell

Axon
Contain nucleus and
other organelles

Cell Body

Myelin
Sheath
-Formed from Schwann cell

-As electrical insulation and

accelerates impulse transmission

Nodes Of
Ranvier
Increase the speed of
transmission

Types of neuron :
-classified by the number of their fibre or by
their function
-The functional classification of neuron is based in
which they transmit impulse and on the position
they occupy in the nervous system
Sensory neuron
Intermediary / Relay neuron
Motor neuron

Types of neuron :

Sensory neuron
Typical location :
eye, surface of skin
Function :
- receive information about bodys
condition and external environment
- send impulse from sensory receptor
to central nervous
system (CNS)

Types of neuron :

Intermediary / Relay
neuron
Typical location :
brain and spinal cord
Function :
integrate information, conduct impulse
between neurons within CNS

Types of neuron :

Motor
neuron
Typical location :
brain and spinal cord

Function :
conduct impulse out of CNS
toward muscles and glands

Types of neuron :

46

Supporting cells in the central nervous system are

called glial cell (glue cell)
Several types of glial cell in the brain and spinal
cord glue neurons together
Do not conduct electrical impulse but instead support
and insulate neurons

Neuroglia

Neuroglia

Oligodendrocytes
(CNS) and Schwann
cell (PNS) are glia
that form an
insulating covering
(myelin sheath)
around axon of
many neuron

ANIMAL TISSUES

TYPES AND SPECIALISED CELL: ANIMAL

NERVOUS TISSUE
Basic unit

NEURON
Types of neuron

Sensory neuron

Interneuron

Motor neuron

Support by

Neuroglia
49

Finish for nerve tissues