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ACTIVITY 9
ANIMAL TISSUES
Cells that group themselves together to perform similar functions and share similar morphological
characteristics and locations are called tissues. The animal body is consists of several types of tissues, grouped
and named on the basis of their characteristics such as shape of cells, number of cell layers, or unique functions.

I. OBJECTIVES: At the end of the activity, the students will be able to:
1. Describe types, location and functions of animal tissues.
2. Identify the distinctive parts of individual tissues.
II. MATERIALS:
Prepared slides (see slides in parentheses indicated in each section)
III. PROCEDURE:
1. Study prepared slides indicated for each tissue. Examine cell characteristics and parts of
tissues found in each slide using the description below.
2. Draw 3-5 cells comprising a tissue. Label parts seen. List beside each drawing the organ from
which the tissue was derived.

EPITHELIUM forms the covering or lining of all free body surfaces, both external and internal.
Cells are packed tightly together, with very little intercellular material between, except at the point
of their origin. The latter is known as the basement membrane. Some types of epithelia have
specialized surfaces, such as presence of cilia.

A. Simple Epithelium cells form a single layer

1. Squamous (squamous epithelium/ cheek smer) cells are much broader than they are
thick and have the appearance of thin, flat plates.
2. Cuboidal (cuboidal epithelium/ kidney, c.s.) cells are roughly as thick as they are wide,
and have a square or cuboidal shape when viewed in cross-section or perpendicular to
the tissue surface.
3. Columnar (columnar epithelium/ small intestine, c.s.) cells are much thicker than they
are wide. In longitudinal section, they appear as rectangles set on end. Found between
some columnar cells are broad-based cells with openings to the surface. These goblet cells
contain mucus for lubricating internal surfaces of digestive organs.
B. Stratified epithelium (stratified squamous epithelium/ human skin c.s.) two or more layers
of cells, with only the cells in the lowest layer in contact with the basement membrane.
C. Pseudostratified epithelium (pseudostratified columnar epithelium/ trachea c.s.) tissue
looks stratified but actually is not; all cells are in contact with the basement membrane.
D. Transitional epithelium (urinary bladder/urethra c.s.)- cells do not have fixed shape. It
changes whenever the organ is dissented or contracted, as in the case of the urinary bladder.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE- cells are embedded in an extensive intercellular matrix, which maybe solid,
semisolid, or liquid.

Vascular Connective Tissues atypical connective tissues with liquid matrices

A. Blood (human blood smear) made up of blood cells and a liquid matrix known as the plasma.
Found in the plasma are formed elements of the following types:
1. Red Blood Cells (RBC) or erythrocytes disc-shaped, biconcave cells that contain
hemoglobin for oxygen transport. Human RBCs are anucleated.
2. White Blood Cells (WBC) or leukocytes cells are amorphous, with no definite shape,
nucleated.

Polymorphonuclear Granulocytes - nucleus has one or more lobes; cytoplasmic granules

present.
a. Neutrophil - 3 or more lobes in the nucleus joined by threadlike structure; very
fine granules in cytoplasm.
b. Basophil nucleus S-shaped, not lobulated; granules may cover the nucleus.
c. Eosinophil 2 lobules in the nucleus and large granules in the cytoplasm.
Agranulocytes - no granules present in the cytoplasm.
a. Lymphocyte smallest WBC with a large nucleus almost occupying the entire cell.
b. Monocyte leukocytes with bean-shaped nucleus.
3. Thrombocytes precursor cells of blood platelets. They become fragmented before their
release from the bone marrow.

B. Lymph the liquid matrix known as lymph contains lymphocyres which are migratory cells.
Connective Tissue Proper- intercellular matrix contains numerous fibers. Both cells and fibers are
embedded in a ground substance which is a mixture of water, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
A. Fibrous Connective Tissues
1. Loose or areolar fibrous connective tissue (areolar tissue)
Loose, irregularly arranged fibers, extensive amount of ground substance, and presence
of numerous cells of a variety of types: leukocytes, adipocytes (fat cells), fibroblasts (fiber-
forming cells), macrophages (large phagocytes), and mast cells (with pale-staining nuclei and
large heparin-containing granules). Fibers are of two kinds: collagenous (thick fibers running
in all directions in a wavy course); and elastic (thin, darkly-stained fibers that can be stretched
to a certain degree).
2. Dense fibrous connective tissue- fibers are compactly arranged, limited amount of ground
substance, and relatively few cells found among fibers.
 a. White or collagenous (tendon) occurs principally in tendons. Thick, pale-staining fibers
are arranged in wavy, parallel rows and in a closely packed manner. Between the bundles
are found fibroblasts, and small blood vessels.
b. Elastic (yellow elastic connective tissue) tissue appears yellowish in color with the naked
eye due to predominance of elastic fibers. Stained specimens have dark fibers arranged
compactly. Fibroblasts and small blood vessels are found between fibers.
3. Adipose tissue (adipose tissue) this tissue is a type of loose connective tissue. Cells known
as adipocytes store fat in large vacuoles, causing the nucleus to be displaced to the side. If the
fat is not stained in the slide, the cells in adipose tissue appear like ghost cells.

Supportive Connective Tissue cells and their products form the structural support of the
vertebrate body.

A. Cartilage- relatively few cartilage-forming cells, known as chondrocytes, are located inside
cavities or lacunae in the matrix. Covering of tissue is a dense fibrous connective tissue known
as the perichondrium.
1. Hyaline cartilage (hyaline cartilage) a somewhat elastic, semi transparent tissue
with an opalescent bluish-gray tint. Lacunae with chondrocytes are widely spaced in a
homogenous matrix, which actually contains a dense network of thin fibrils.
2. Fibrocartilage (fibrocartilage) contains dense network of irregulary arranged
collagenous fibers among chondrocytes lodged inside lacunae. It has no perichondrium.
3. Elastic Cartilage (elastic cartilage) differs from hyaline variety in its greater opacity,
flexibility and elasticity. Fibers are often so dense they obscure the ground substance. Cells
inside lacunae are fewer but larger compared to fibrocartilage.
B. Bone (ground or decalcified bone) has a hard, relatively rigid matrix impregnated with
inorganic calcium salts. Osteocytes, or bone-forming cells are found inside lacunae arranged in
concentric rings called lamellae. Channels, known as canaliculi connect lacunae of one lamella
to another, and to the cental canal known as Haversian canal. Tha Haversian canal, lamellae,
lacune and canaliculi make up the basic unit of bony tissue called the Haversian system or
osteon. The dense fibrous connective tissue covering of bony tissue is called the periosteum.

MUSCULAR TISSUE- elongated cells bound together into sheets or bundles by connective
tissue. Three principal types of muscles are recognized in vertebrates:

A. Striated or skeletal muscle (striated muscle, I.s) made up of long, cylindrical fibers
containing many nuclei (syncytium). Conspicuous cross-striations are observed in these
fibers and the nuclei lie beneath the surface of the plasma membrane, known as the
sarcolemma. The unit of organization of skeletal muscle is the fiber, large numbers of
which are grouped into fascicles, which in turn are associated with a connective tissue
sheath known as the epimysium; the perimysium surrounds the fascicle, while the
endomysium invests individual muscle fibers.
B. Smooth or visceral muscle (smooth muscle, l.s.) made up of spindle-shaped cells with
single nucleus located in the middle bulging portion (belly) of the cell. Striations are absent.
C. Cardiac muscle (cardiac muscle, l.s.) composed of elongated, branching fibers that unite
with other fibers to form a continuous network of muscle fibers. Cardiac muscle contains
cross-striations like striated muscle, but the fibers of cardiac muscle are divided into many
cell-like units by intercalated disc which partially divide the fibers. Nucleus is single and
located centrally in the interior of the fiber, the branches generally having no nucleus. Like
smooth muscle, cardiac muscle is involuntary.

NERVOUS TISSUE neurons are cells that compose organs of the nervous system (brain, spinal
cord, and nerves). They are primarily involved in transmitting stimulus and response
messages to various body parts for coordination functions.
1. Neuron (spinal cord, c.s.) a nerve cell, together with its branches or processes, is
called a neuron. These processes include a long axon, which carries impulses away from
the cell body, and shorter processes called dendrites which receive impulses from other
nerve cells and carry them toward the cell body. The latter contains a nucleus, and
numerous fine fibrils, the neurofibrils, in its cytoplasm.
2. Nerve (nerve, c.s.) a nerve is a group of nerve fibers or processes bound together
by connective tisue. A group of nerve fibers, a fascicle, is surrounded by a connective
tissue sheath known as the periniurium; the epiniurium surrounds the whole nerve and
holds the fascicles together, and the endoniurium separates individual nerve fibers from
one another. The nerve fibers in cross section will appera as small dark spots, each
surrounded by a clear area, the myelin sheath.

REPRODUCTIVE TISSUE this tissue is found in repoductive organs or gonads of the male and
female individuals of a species.
1. Testis (mammal testis, c.s.) the male gonad in cross-section contains round, tubular
structures known as seminiferous tubules. Between the tubules are interstitial cells
which are responsible for secreting the male hormone testosterone. Inside each
tubule are found reproductive cells in different stages of development:
a. Spermatogonia dark-staining cells near the periphery
b. Spermatocytes dark-staining cells in varying stages of cell division
c. Spermatids small cells with a hint of a tail
d. Spermatozoa tadpole-shaped cells near the lumen of a tubule
2. Ovary (mammal ovary, x.s.) the female gonad contains numerous round cells called
follicle cells. These cells surround the maturing egg cell or ovum, and are responsible
for secreting the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Inside each follicle is a
cell in varying stages of maturity:
a. Oogonia small cells at periphery of gonad
b. Primary oocyte surrounded by one or more layers of follicular cells
c. Secondary oocyte follicular cells begin to form a cavity called the antrum around
the oocyte
d. Ovum mature oocyte with big antrum. After ovulation, or release of the mature
ovum, the remaining follicular cells become the corpus luteum.
IV. DRAWINGS:
SQUAMOUS EPITHELIUM COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM CUBOIDAL EPITHELIUM

STRATIFIED EPITH. PSEUDOSTRATIFIED EPITH. TRANSITIONAL EPITH.

ERYTHROCYTE MONOCYTE LYMPHOCYTE

NEUTROPHIL EOSINOPHIL BASOPHIL

AREOLAR CT WHITE FIBROUS CT YELLOW ELASTIC CT

ADIPOSE BONE HYALINE CARTILAGE

FIBROCARTILAGE ELASTIC CARTILAGE SMOOTH MUSCLE

STRIATED MUSCLE CARDIAC MUSCLE NEURON

NERVE OVARY TESTIS

V. QUESTIONS TO ANSWERS:

1. Cite at least 3 examples of structure-function relationship observed from different tissue

types.

Ligaments connect bone to bone and tendons connect muscles to bone

Nervous tissue is involved in sensing stimuliexternal or internal cuesand
processing and transmitting information
Connective tissue supports and, as the name suggests, connects other tissues.

2. What is tissue culture? What is its role in modern biotechnology?

Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells separate from the organism. One of the
widest applications of biotechnology has been in the area of tissue culture. It is one of the most
widely used techniques for rapid asexual in vitro propagation. This technique is economical in
time and space affords greater output and provides disease free and elite propagules. It also
facilitates safer and quarantined movements of germ plasm across nations. When the traditional
methods are unable to meet the demand for propagation material this technique can produce
millions of uniformly flowering and yielding plants. Micro propagation of almost all the fruit crops
and vegetables is possible now. Production of virus free planting material using meristem culture
has been made possible in many horticultural crops. Embryo rescue is another area where plant
breeders are able to rescue their crosses which would otherwise abort. Culture of excised
embryos of suitable stages of development can circumvent problems encountered in post zygotic
incompatibility. This technique is highly significant in intractable and long duration horticultural
species. Many of the dry land legume species have been successfully regenerated from
cotyledons, hypocotyls, leaf, ovary, protoplast, petiole root, anthers, etc., Haploid generation
through anther/pollen culture is recognized as another important area in crop improvement. It
is useful in being rapid and economically feasible. Complete homozygosity of the offspring helps
in phenotype selection for quantitative characters and particularly for qualitatively inherited
characters making breeding much easier successful isolation, culture and fusion of plant
protoplasts has been very useful in transferring cytoplasmic male sterility for obtaining hybrid
vigor through mitochondrial recombination and for genetic transformation in plants.