Enjoying our resources?
Everything we provide is free. Help us keep this resource free by donating and helping us cover our running costs. Every little bit helps!
Menu
Add to favourites LO: Examining the specialised cells and tissues involved in structure and function of particular organs
You’re a multicellular organism, but you’ve probably noticed you aren’t just two or three big cells, and the millions of cells you are made of, are hard to see. We are organised into increasingly complex parts. Starting with the basic building block, a cell, and ending in a complete organism.
In order, from least complex to most complex:
We’ve already spoken about specialised cells (select here if you need a refresher), now lets talk about what those cells come together to create! Tissues!
Cells can form tissue. A living tissue are a group of cells that perform the same function, not scattered throughout the whole body.
In the human body, we have 4 different types of tissue:
Muscle tissue is able to contract and become shorter and fatter.
Tense your bicep, what you’ll notice is the muscle bulging when you contract it.
Epithelium cells makes up your skin and organs. These cells make up the outside and inside of your body, going all around your body, mouth, stomach etc…
Connective tissue connects, supports, binds, or separates other tissues or organs.
Fat, bone cartilage, ligament and tendons are examples of connective tissues.
They can be strong and fibrous like ligaments, which hold your bones together. Tendons connect your muscles and bone together.
Nerve tissue sends electrical signals around the body. You brain is made up of nerve tissue.
When you want to move your muscle an electrical impulse travels from the brain, down the spine and to the muscle.
An organ is made up of 2 or more different tissues, which all work together to do a particular job. Every tissue has its role in an organ. Epithelial gives protection, skeletal gives support, muscle helps locomotion and neural conducting signals.
Here are some examples of organs in your body:
Your small intestine is a great example of how different tissue types work together and make up an organ.
Hover over the i icon on the image below to learn more about the different tissue types in the small intestine.
Everything we provide is free. Help us keep this resource free by donating and helping us cover our running costs. Every little bit helps!