March 25, 2024 (Monday) – Asynchronous Activity
Making of Illustrations on Tissues🔬🎨
Deadline: April 1, 2024 (Monday)

[1] Epithelial Tissue – Simple Cuboidal Epithelium

Epithelial tissues are classified according to the number of layers and the shape of cells. With this, the simple cuboidal epithelium belongs to the simple epithelial tissue with only one layer of cube-shaped cells, as well as centrally located large spherical nuclei. This type of epithelium can be found as a lining of kidney tubules and glandular tissues as it functions for protection of the organs, secretion and absorption of substances such as fluids, hormones, and enzymes, and for excretion of wastes from the body. Simple cuboidal epithelium often have microvilli on their apical surface that contribute to the increase of surface area for efficient secretion and absorption.

[2] Muscular Tissue – Cardiac Muscle Tissue

The cardiac muscle tissue is a specialized tissue that can only be found in the heart. The cardiac muscle cells, also known as cardiomyocytes, are striated, branched, and contain single, centrally located nuclei bounded by a membrane called sarcolemma. The branched fibers of the cells are connected through the presence of intercalated discs with gap junctions and desmosomes. The interconnections between the cells allow them to contract together in sync to drive the pumping action of the heart. Through the heart and its organized tissue type, blood is distributed throughout the body for metabolic processes to take place.

[3] Connective Tissue – Elastic Cartilage

Elastic cartilage is considered to be the most flexible connective tissue. The cartilage cells, also called the chondrocytes, are arranged into elastic fibers, appearing as a threadlike network or matrix. Glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and multiadhesive glycoproteins are also significant constituents of the matrix. This tissue can be found in the external ears, eustachian tubes, and larynx (voice box), which are structures in the body that need support for bending and moving in order to function. The flexibility of the elastic cartilage enables it to go back to its original shape or figure from being stretched or compressed.

[4] Circulatory System – Mammal Vein

Veins are a type of blood vessels in the circulatory system that are composed of three layers of tissues and fibers, namely, tunica adventitia (outer layer – connective tissues and elastic fibers), tunica media (middle layer – smooth muscle and elastic fibers), and tunica intima (inner layer – endothelium). Tunica adventitia provides structure and shape to the vein. Tunica media, on the other hand, allows the vein to become narrower or wider as the blood passes through. Meanwhile, tunica intima helps the blood to move easily through the vein.

The vein is somehow different with the artery despite them sharing general structures as it has a valve that keeps the blood flowing in the right direction (one-way). Moreover, veins have thinner walls compared to arteries because of the lesser pressure that they handle since veins collect deoxygenated blood (dark red in color) from the different parts of the body and bring it back to the heart.

References:

Baxter, R. (2023). Elastic cartilage histology. https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/histology-of-elastic-cartilage

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Epithelium. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22062-epithelium

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Cartilage. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23173-cartilage

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Veins. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23360-veins

Ripa, R., George, T., Shumway, K. R., et al. Physiology, Cardiac Muscle. [Updated 2023 Jul 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572070/