Human Anatomy and Physiology Tissues:Glossary of key Term
adipose tissue - ansloose connective tissue; has adipocytes (specialized fibroblasts that contain large deposits
of fat); has minimal intercellular material; functions include storing energy as fat, being an insulating pad
between organs, being a shock absorber
areolar tissue - ansloose connective tissue; most common connective tissue; all 3 protein fibers present in a
fluid ground substance; has fibroblasts (cells that produce fibers and ground substance) and macrophages
(white blood cells); functions include being a structural anchor to body parts; found between skin and muscles,
surface of organs, filling spaces between organs
benign - ansnoncancerous (could be a cyst- solid fibrous mass of connective tissue called fibroadenoma)
blood - ansconnective tissue: has living cells; plasma is the fluid matrix that contains fibers that come into
action during clotting; transports gases, nutrients, wastes, etc.
body membranes - anscover surfaces, line body cavities, and form protective sheets around organs
bone - ansconnective tissue: matrix (intercellular material) is filled with mineral salts and collagen fibers;
durable and hard; has osteocytes (secrete bone matrix, embedded in chambers called lacunae); 2 types
cardiac muscle - ansmuscle tissue: alternating light/dark cross markings called striations, branched, joined end
to end, intricate networks, single nucleus, intercalated disc where cells touch, cannot stimulate a muscle cell to
contract, found in heart, controls involuntary movements
cartilage - ansconnective tissue: more solid than connective tissue proper; has a matrix of protein fibers and
thickened ground substance; has chondrocytes (cartilage cells that maintain the matrix, embedded in small
chambers called lacunae); has perichondium (dense connective tissue that surrounds the cartilage and is
vascular; materials diffuse from perichondrium to chondrocytes); 3 types
characteristics of cancer - ans1 hyperplasia- uncontrolled cell division (cells activate telomerase - continually
, rebuilds chromosomes so that cells are not signaled to stop dividing)
2 dedifferentiation- cells lose many of the specialized structures/functions
3 invasiveness- cells break through boundaries (basement membranes) that separate cell layers within some
organs
4 angiogenesis- cells induce extension of blood vessels (nourish cells and remove wastes
5 metastasis- cells spread (metastasize) to other tissues; cand etach from their original mass and move from
their place of origin, into bloodstream or lymphatic system
collagenous fibers - anstype of protein fiber in connective tissue; thick, wavelike strands; resists stretching; has
great tensile strength; composed of most abundant protein in the body (found in tendons, scar tissue)
columnar - ansepithelium: greater in height than width
compact bone - ansconnective tissue: composed of osteons or haversian systems; osteons form concentric
circles throughout it; has osteonic canal or haversian canal (extends through middle of osteon, contains blood
vessels)
connective tissue - anstissue: cells are vascular (widely scattered with large amounts of nonliving intercellular
material); contains ground substance (protein-sugar molecules and protein fibers); functions include
supporting body structures and gluing tissues and organs in place; contains two types of cells: one maintains
intercellular material and one protects tissue from infections; has great capacity for growth and repair
cuboidal - ansepithelium: cube-shaped
cutaneous membrane - ansbody membrane: skin; superficial epidermis is composed of a stratified squamous
keratinizing epithelium while underlying dermis is dense, fibrous connective tissue; exposed to air and is a dry
membrane
dense connective tissue - ansconnective tissue: protein fibers are packed closely together with little ground
substance
adipose tissue - ansloose connective tissue; has adipocytes (specialized fibroblasts that contain large deposits
of fat); has minimal intercellular material; functions include storing energy as fat, being an insulating pad
between organs, being a shock absorber
areolar tissue - ansloose connective tissue; most common connective tissue; all 3 protein fibers present in a
fluid ground substance; has fibroblasts (cells that produce fibers and ground substance) and macrophages
(white blood cells); functions include being a structural anchor to body parts; found between skin and muscles,
surface of organs, filling spaces between organs
benign - ansnoncancerous (could be a cyst- solid fibrous mass of connective tissue called fibroadenoma)
blood - ansconnective tissue: has living cells; plasma is the fluid matrix that contains fibers that come into
action during clotting; transports gases, nutrients, wastes, etc.
body membranes - anscover surfaces, line body cavities, and form protective sheets around organs
bone - ansconnective tissue: matrix (intercellular material) is filled with mineral salts and collagen fibers;
durable and hard; has osteocytes (secrete bone matrix, embedded in chambers called lacunae); 2 types
cardiac muscle - ansmuscle tissue: alternating light/dark cross markings called striations, branched, joined end
to end, intricate networks, single nucleus, intercalated disc where cells touch, cannot stimulate a muscle cell to
contract, found in heart, controls involuntary movements
cartilage - ansconnective tissue: more solid than connective tissue proper; has a matrix of protein fibers and
thickened ground substance; has chondrocytes (cartilage cells that maintain the matrix, embedded in small
chambers called lacunae); has perichondium (dense connective tissue that surrounds the cartilage and is
vascular; materials diffuse from perichondrium to chondrocytes); 3 types
characteristics of cancer - ans1 hyperplasia- uncontrolled cell division (cells activate telomerase - continually
, rebuilds chromosomes so that cells are not signaled to stop dividing)
2 dedifferentiation- cells lose many of the specialized structures/functions
3 invasiveness- cells break through boundaries (basement membranes) that separate cell layers within some
organs
4 angiogenesis- cells induce extension of blood vessels (nourish cells and remove wastes
5 metastasis- cells spread (metastasize) to other tissues; cand etach from their original mass and move from
their place of origin, into bloodstream or lymphatic system
collagenous fibers - anstype of protein fiber in connective tissue; thick, wavelike strands; resists stretching; has
great tensile strength; composed of most abundant protein in the body (found in tendons, scar tissue)
columnar - ansepithelium: greater in height than width
compact bone - ansconnective tissue: composed of osteons or haversian systems; osteons form concentric
circles throughout it; has osteonic canal or haversian canal (extends through middle of osteon, contains blood
vessels)
connective tissue - anstissue: cells are vascular (widely scattered with large amounts of nonliving intercellular
material); contains ground substance (protein-sugar molecules and protein fibers); functions include
supporting body structures and gluing tissues and organs in place; contains two types of cells: one maintains
intercellular material and one protects tissue from infections; has great capacity for growth and repair
cuboidal - ansepithelium: cube-shaped
cutaneous membrane - ansbody membrane: skin; superficial epidermis is composed of a stratified squamous
keratinizing epithelium while underlying dermis is dense, fibrous connective tissue; exposed to air and is a dry
membrane
dense connective tissue - ansconnective tissue: protein fibers are packed closely together with little ground
substance
