Tissues without Issues

Overview

There are over 200 different cell types in body! These cells work to make up organs composed of at least two or more of the four primary tissues in the body, epithelium, connective, nervous, and muscular tissues.

Skin (Epithelial Tissue)

The skin is composed of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium meaning multiple layers of flat cells. The structure of skin helps prevent water loss, acts as a barrier for bacteria, and forms a moist environment. Epithelial tissue also contains many glands that secrete substances. Holocrine glands secrete oil onto the skin and scalp to keep the skin from drying out. Meocrine glands secrete sweat in order to cool the body down during exercise. Apocine glands also secrete sweat, but are found in armpit region, which means the sweat mixes with bacteria to form an odor. The release of sweat form the body helps maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the stability of internal conditions regardless of external conditions, and fluctuations around a set point. During exercise, the sweat glands release water in order to cool down the body and return the body to homeostatic temperature.

Blood, Fat, and Bone (Connective Tissue)

How are blood, fat, and bone related? Though connective tissue! This type of tissue is the most abundant and viable tissue type. It plays a role in immunity, diet, and movement. Connective tissue contains leukocytes or white blood cells that fight off infections within the body. It also contains adipocytes that expand and multiply to store fat and shrink when you loose weight. Lastly, connective tissue contains fibroblasts, which make up tendons and ligaments allowing for movement, and chondrocytes that produce cartilage to support the body (spinal cord and joints), as well as bone!

Muscles and Nerves

Muscular and nervous tissues work together in the body. During exercise the body works to contract and relax muscles. During contraction, nervous tissue, composed of large star-shaped cells with long processes, stimulate elongated cells of muscle tissue to short and contract. Once the nervous tissue stops sending impulses to the muscle, it beings to elongate and relax. There are three primary types of muscle: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles. Skeletal muscle is the only type of voluntary muscle meaning the muscles we have control over while doing daily tasks and exercise. Long, striated cells with multiple nuclei that contain ATP, the energy source of muscles, characterize skeletal muscle. Both cardiac and smooth muscle are involuntary. Cardiac muscle surrounds the heart and works to pump blood to the body. The amount of work it produces is directly dependent on the amount of work the body is exerting. Smooth muscle is found in many organs of the body, specifically the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the GI tract, smooth muscle helps propel food into the different cavities for digestion and excretion.

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