Four Basic Tissue Types

Cards · 20

Simple Squamous Epithelium

Single layer of flat, scale-like cells with disc-shaped central nuclei; looks like a fried egg in surface view.

Simple Cuboidal Epithelium

Single layer of cube-shaped cells with large, spherical, centrally located nuclei.

Simple Columnar Epithelium

Single layer of tall, rectangular cells with oval nuclei near the basal layer; often shows goblet cells or microvilli.

Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium

Single cell layer with nuclei at varying heights giving a stratified look; all cells touch the basement membrane; often ciliated.

Stratified Squamous Epithelium

Multiple cell layers with cuboidal/columnar basal cells and flattened, squamous cells at the apical surface.

Transitional Epithelium (Urothelium)

Stratified appearance with rounded, dome-shaped apical cells that flatten out when stretched.

Areolar Connective Tissue

Loose, gel-like matrix containing an open meshwork of scattered collagen and elastin fibers with visible fibroblast nuclei.

Adipose Tissue

Closely packed cells with large, clear intracellular lipid droplets that compress the nucleus against the plasma membrane.

Dense Regular Connective Tissue

Closely packed, parallel wavy collagen fibers with flattened fibroblast nuclei squeezed between the bundles.

Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

Thick collagen fiber bundles arranged randomly in multiple directions with scattered fibroblasts.

Hyaline Cartilage

Glassy, homogeneous extracellular matrix without visible fibers; chondrocytes sit in distinct lacunae, often in isogenous groups.

Elastic Cartilage

Chondrocytes in lacunae embedded in a matrix densely packed with dark-staining, branched elastic fibers.

Fibrocartilage

Parallel rows of thick collagen fibers alternating with rows of chondrocytes in lacunae; lacks a perichondrium.

Compact Bone

Concentric rings (lamellae) around central Haversian canals forming osteons, with osteocytes inside lacunae connected by canaliculi.

Blood

Fluid matrix (plasma) filled with abundant anucleated biconcave red cells, scattered nucleated white cells, and small platelets.

Skeletal Muscle

Long, unbranched, cylindrical fibers displaying prominent transverse striations and multiple flattened nuclei along the periphery.

Cardiac Muscle

Branching, striated fibers with single or paired central nuclei, joined end-to-end by darkly staining intercalated discs.

Smooth Muscle

Non-striated, spindle-shaped cells with tapered ends, each containing a single centrally located, elongated nucleus.

Neuron

Large, star-shaped cell body (soma) with a prominent nucleolus, surrounded by multiple branching dendrites and a single long axon.

Neuroglia

Small, abundant support cells visible primarily as clustered, dark nuclei surrounding much larger neurons in nerve tissue.