BIOL-2220 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Lamina Propria, Macrophage, White Adipose Tissue
24 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Each cell alone obtains and digests its food, ejects its wastes, and carries out all the other activities necessary to keep itself alive. But in the multicellular human body, cells do not operate independently. Individual body cells are specialized, with each type performing specific functions that help maintain homeostasis and benefit the body as a whole. Cell specialization allows the body to function in sophisticated ways, but division of labor has certain hazards. Tissues are groups of cells that are similar in structure and perform a common or related function. Four primary tissue types interweave to form the fabric of the body. These basic tissues are epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissue. We could say that epithelial tissue covers, connective tissue supports, muscle tissue produces movement, and nervous tissue controls. The study of tissues, or histology, complements the study of gross anatomy. Together they provide the structural basis for understanding organ physiology.
