The term “perfusion” is derived from the French verb ‘perfuse’ meaning to ‘pour over or through’. Perfusionists employ artificial blood pumps to propel open-heart surgery patients’ blood through their body tissue, replacing the function of the heart while the cardiac surgeon operates.
One method of classifying connective tissues is to divide them into three types: fibrous connective tissue, skeletal connective tissue, and fluid connective tissue.
Connective tissue is the most abundant, mainly because it applies to so many tissue types. It includes things like skin (except for the outermost layer, which is epithelial tissue) and bones.
Tissue, in physiology, a level of organization in multicellular organisms; it consists of a group of structurally and functionally similar cells and their intercellular material. By definition, tissues are absent from unicellular organisms. Learn more about tissues in this article.
Learn about tissue types and functions in humans, other animals, and plants. Get examples, quizzes, and a PDF study guide.
Figure 4.1.1 – The Four Primary Tissue Types: Examples of nervous tissue, epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and connective tissue found throughout the human body.
The term tissue is used to describe a group of cells found together in the body. The cells within a tissue share a common embryonic origin. Microscopic observation reveals that the cells in a tissue share morphological features and are arranged in an orderly pattern that achieves the tissue’s functions.
The four types of tissues are exemplified in nervous tissue, stratified squamous epithelial tissue, cardiac muscle tissue, and connective tissue in small intestine.
Loose fibrous connective tissue: composed of a loose and disorganized weave of collagen and elastin fibres, creating a tissue that is thin and flexible, yet still tough.