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. 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 Epithelium Simple squamous epithelium Simple cuboidal epithelium Nonciliated simple columnar epithelium Ciliated simple columnar epithelium Stratified Epithelium Stratified squamous epithelium Stratified cuboidal epithelium Stratified columnar epithelium Transitional epithelium Pseudostratified columnar Epithelium Pseudostratified columnar epithelium. Glandular Epithelial Tissue Endocrine Glands (Tissue of) Endocrine Glands Exocrine 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: Embryonic Connective Tissue   Mesenchyme Mucous connective tissue Mature Connective Tissue   Loose Connective Tissue: Areolar Tissue Adipose Tissue Reticular Tissue Dense Connective Tissue:   Dense Regular Connective Tissue (White Fibrous Tissue) Dense Irregular Connective Tissue Elastic Connective Tissue (Yellow Elastic Tissue) Cartilage Tissue:   Hyaline Cartilage Fibrocartilage Elastic Cartilage Bone (Osseous) Tissue:   Compact Bone Spongy Bone Blood Tissue:   Erythrocytes Thrombocytes Leucocytes Lymphatic Tissue: Lymph 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.

Tissue types

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