Classification of Tissue Types
This page is part of the section
about the structure and function of different Tissue
Types and indicates how the tissues
mentioned in this section may be described in relation
to each other, e.g. adipose tissue, areolar tissue,
blood tissue, bone tissue etc. are all different types
of "connective tissue".
To read about the
individual tissue types, see the links listed on the
left.
There are Four (4) Basic Types of Animal
Tissue:
|
Type
of Tissue: |
Epithelial
Tissue
|
Connective Tissue
|
Muscular
Tissue
|
Nervous
Tissue
|
|
|
Functions
of type of tissue: |
Covers body
surfaces and lines body cavities |
Binds and
Supports body parts |
Enables
movement of structures within the body and movement
of the entire person/animal |
Enables
responses to stimuli and coordinates bodily functions |
Each of the tissue-types listed in the
panel on the left falls into one of the four categories
above.
However, the four "Basic Types" of
animal tissues can be sub-divided further as each includes
several different sub-types of the tissue, each being
specialised to meet specific needs and/or perform particular
tasks.
1. Epithelial Tissue
Epithelial tissue exists in many forms and can be
classified or sub-divided in different ways.
Types of Epithelial Tissue:
 |
Covering and Lining
Epithelial Tissue |
Types of Epithelial
Tissue (in this classification)
|
| |
Classification by Cell
Shape:
- Squamous
- Cuboidal
- Columnar
- Transitional
|
|
Classification by Arrangement
of Layers: |
|
- Simple squamous epithelium,
- Simple cuboidal epithelium,
- Nonciliated simple columnar epithelium,
- Ciliated simple columnar epithelium.
|
|
- Stratified squamous epithelium,
- Stratified cuboidal epithelium
- Stratified columnar epithelium,
- Transitional epithelium.
|
- Pseudostratified columnar Epithelium
|
- Pseudostratified columnar
epithelium.
|
Glandular Epithelial
Tissue |
|
|
- (Tissue of) Endocrine Glands
|
|
- (Tissue of) Exocrine Glands
|
|
Each of the sub-divisions of epithelial tissue identified
above can be described in terms of its structure (using
both text and diagrams), location, and function within
the body.
2. Connective Tissue
Connective tissues serve the general purpose
of supporting and connecting the tissues of
the body, and vary considerably in structure
and composition. Teaching materials (incl. textbooks
and websites) sub-divide this tissue category
in various different ways - hence it is useful
to be aware of variations and overlap in classifications
and terminology.
Types of Connective Tissue:
3. Muscular Tissue
There are three (3) types of muscular
tissue:
|
Skeletal
Muscle (Tissue): |
located throughout the body and under conscious
(i.e. "voluntary") control, main function
movement of the structures of the body, and
the body as a whole, e.g. by walking, running,
etc.. |
Cardiac Muscle (Tissue): |
which is found only in the heart and is
important for effective blood-flow through the
heart. |
Smooth Muscle (Tissue): |
involuntary muscle tissue located around
the walls of many internal structures such as
the stomach and intestines and important for
aiding the passage of materials/fluids through
those structures. |
|
4. Nervous Tissue
Nervous tissue
consists of two (2) main types of cells:
|
Nerve Cells (also known as Neurons or Neurones)
- |
|
whose purpose is to transmit
(electrical) nerve impulses that move information
around the body. |
Neuroglia (also known as simply Glia)
- |
| |
which support and protect nerve cells, depending
on the particular type of glia. Examples of
types of glia include astrocytes, ependymal
cells, microglial cells, oligodendrocytes and
Schwann cells. |
|
Further information about each of the basic
types of animal tissue is included on the pages
indicated.
|
