Epithelial Tissue

Characteristics: Polarity: Has an apical surface, which may include microvilli, and a basal surface, which is just superficial to the basal lamina Specialized contacts: Lateral contacts that include tight junctions and desmosomes. Supported by connective tissue: Just deep to the basal lamina is the reticular lamina, fiber-infused extracellular material that belongs to the underlying connective tissue. Avascular but innervated: Nerve fibers are present but nourishment occurs through diffusion from blood vessels of underlying connective tissue. Regeneration: High regenerative capacity to replace cells damaged by friction, bacteria, acids, smoke, etc. Classification: Based on cell layers - Simple one layer; most concerned with absorption, secretion, filtration - Stratified more than one layer; built for protection and resisting abrasion Based on cell shape - Squamous scale-like - Cuboidal cube-like - Columnar column-like (may have cilia and mucus-secreting goblet cells) Other types - Pseudostratified columnar (may have cilia and mucus-secreting goblet cells) - Transitional lines hollow urinary organs that must stretch as they fill with urine. Glandular Epithelia Exocrine use ducts to secrete products onto body surfaces and into body cavities Multicellular - mucous - sweat - oil - salivary - liver (bile) - pancreas (digestive enzymes) - others Unicellular produce mucin, a complex glycoprotein that dissolves in water when secreted - goblet cells top of the cell swells with cup-like accumulation of mucin - mucous cells no such distortion occurs

Glandular Epithelia (cont.) Exocrine use ducts to secrete products onto body surfaces and into body cavities (cont). Classification: Structural Ducts Simple unbranched duct Compound branched duct Secretory units Tubular secretory cells form tubes Alveolar secretory cells form flask-like sacs that resemble grape clusters Tubuloalveolar have both tubular and alveolar units Mode of secretion Merocrine cells secrete via exocytosis and are not altered - pancreas - most sweat glands - salivary glands Holocrine accumulate products within them and then rupture - sebaceous (oil) glands of the skin are only true example Endocrine mostly multicellular ductless glands that produce hormones secreted by exocytosis directly into the extracellular space

Connective Tissue
Classes and subclasses of connective tissue Proper (e.g., fat and fibrous tissue of ligaments) Loose Areolar most widely distributed connective tissue in the body; serves as universal packing material between other tissues Structure loose arrangement of fibers Function Supporting and binding other tissues Holding body fluids Defending against infection Storing nutrients as fat Adipose similar to areolar in structure and function but with much greater nutrient-storing ability; accounts for about 18% of average person s body weight Structure composed of 90% adipocytes and very little matrix; cells packed closely together, giving the tissue a chicken-wire appearance; most of cell s volume consists of oil droplet that is almost pure triglyceride White fat stores nutrients, mainly for other cells

Brown fat richly vascular and contains abundant mitochondria that use the lipid fuels to heat the bloodstream and warm the body; occurs only in babies, who lack the ability to produce heat by shivering Function accumulates in subcutaneous tissue, where it acts as shock absorber, insulation and energy storage site Reticular Structure resembles areolar connective tissue; the fibers in its matrix are exclusively reticular, forming a delicate network along which fibroblasts called reticular cells are scattered Function forms a labyrinth-like stroma, or internal framework, that can support many free blood cells (mostly lymphocytes) in lymph nodes, the spleen and bone marrow Dense Regular Structure poorly vascularized and contains closely packed, parallel, slightly wavy bundles of collagen interspersed with rows of fibroblasts Function good at resisting tension exerted in one direction; forms tendons, which attach muscles to bone or to other muscles; also forms ligaments and fascia, a fibrous membrane that wraps around muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels and nerves, binding them together like plastic wrap Irregular Structure same structural elements as dense regular but bundles of collagen fibers are thicker and are arranged irregularly (i.e., they don t run parallel to one another) Function good at resisting tension in multiple directions; forms the leathery dermis of the skin, as well as fibrous joint capsules and fibrous covering that surround some organs (kidneys, bones, cartilages, muscles and nerves) Elastic Structure similar to dense regular connective tissue but with high proportion of elastic fibers Function not widely distributed in the body but does form some ligaments that connect adjacent vertebrae Cartilage resistant to tension and compression; has qualities intermediate to bone and to dense connective tissue; lacks nerve fibers and is avascular Hyaline also called gristle, it is the most abundant type of cartilage in the body Structure characterized by invisible collagen fibers and amorphous, glassylooking matrix; chondrocytes account for only 1-10% of the cartilage volume Function provides firm support with some pliability; covers ends of long bones as articular cartilage; supports the tip of the nose, connects the ribs to the sternum and supports most of the respiratory system passages; precursor to bone in the embryonic skeleton and forms the epiphyseal plates that are the site of long-bone growth in childhood Elastic nearly identical to hyaline cartilage Structure many more elastic fibers than are present in hyaline cartilage Function very stretchy and flexible; forms the external ear and the epiglottis

Fibrocartilage has properties intermediate to hyaline and dense regular connective tissue Structure rows of chondrocytes alternate with rows of thick collagen fibers Function resistant to tension and, especially, to compression; found in the intervertebral discs that cushion the vertebrae and in the spongy menisci of the knee joint Bone Structure very rigid due to its abundant collagen fibers and the presence of inorganic calcium salts in its matrix; vascular; composed of closely packed structural units called osteons, which are formed by concentric rings of bony matrix (lamellae) that surround central canals containing nerves and blood vessels Function support and protect body structures; provide cavities for fat storage and synthesis of blood cells Blood the most atypical connective tissue because it does not connect things or provide mechanical support Structure bloods cells (mostly red ones with scattered white ones) surrounded by a fluid matrix called blood plasma; fibers are soluble proteins that precipitate during blood clotting Function transport vehicle for the cardiovascular system, carrying nutrients, wastes, respiratory gases and many other substances throughout the body Major functions of connective tissue Binding and support Protection Insulation Transportation Common characteristics of connective tissue Common origin from mesenchyme Degrees of vascularity Extracellular matrix

Structural elements of connective tissue Extracellular matrix Ground substance Interstitial fluid Cell adhesion proteins glue that allows connective tissue cells to attach to matrix Proteoglycans consist of protein core to which strandlike GAGs are attached; the higher the GAG content, the more viscous the ground substance Fibers Collagen thick, white Elastic medium thickness, yellow Reticular short, fine Cells Blasts actively mitotic cells that secrete ground substance and fibers of matrix Fibroblasts connective tissue proper Chondroblasts cartilage Osteoblasts bone Hematopoietic stem cells blood (this type of cell is not located in its tissue and does not make the fluid matrix, or plasma, of that tissue) Cytes mature cells to which blasts give rise Fat cells Mobile cells White blood cells play defensive role Neutrophils Eosinophils Lymphocytes Mast cells oval-shaped cells that serve as sentinels that raise the alarm against antigens and initiate inflammatory response; secrete chemicals like heparin, histamine and proteases Macrophages large, irregularly shaped cells that eat foreign material; they may perch on fibers or patrol matrix