Video Transcript
Which of the following is not an
example of a basic type of tissue in humans? (A) Muscular tissue, (B) epithelial
tissue, (C) meristem tissue, (D) nervous tissue, or (E) glandular tissue.
To answer this question, let’s
first address what a tissue is before we look at some specific examples.
Cells within the body are organized
into larger structures called tissues. A tissue is a group of specialized
cells that work together to carry out specific functions. Humans are complex organisms made
up of many different cells found within many different tissues. Each different cell type carries
out a specific and specialized function to keep our bodies alive. And a tissue’s function is usually
determined by the types of cells it is made of. For example, muscle cells group
together to form muscle tissues that can contract and relax to allow movement of
certain parts of the body.
A specific type of muscle tissue is
cardiac muscle tissue, which keeps our heart beating in a continuous, rhythmic
motion. With this information, we can
eliminate option (A) muscular tissue as we know that this is a type of tissue found
in the human body. And this question is asking us to
determine the answer choice which is not an example of a basic type of tissue in
humans. Muscular tissue is one of four main
tissue types in humans. Let’s take a look at the other main
types of tissue that can be found in the human body in order to work out which
answer option is not one of them.
Nervous tissue is made up primarily
of neurons, or nerve cells, which make up the organs like our brain and spinal
cord. Nervous tissue functions in
communication. It carries signals as electrical
impulses throughout the body and processes information to provide appropriate
responses. Knowing this, we can eliminate
option (D) nervous tissue from our answer choices.
Epithelial tissue functions as
lining and protection for body and organ surfaces, consisting of cells that are
closely joined together to form a continuous layer. For example, our skin consists
primarily of epithelial tissue, as does the internal lining of our digestive
tract. With this information, we can also
rule out option (B) epithelial tissue.
Glandular tissue is a tissue type
that consists of secretory cells that secrete certain substances. For example, sweat glands secrete a
substance called sweat onto the surface of our skin to help cool us down when we
become too warm. There are also many different
glands in the body that secrete hormones and some that secrete enzymes. Now that we know this, option (E)
glandular tissue cannot be the correct answer either, which means we are left with
what must be the correct answer to this question.
In fact, option (C) meristem tissue
is not found in humans at all but is a type of tissue found only in plants. It is composed of unspecialized
cells and is often found in regions of growth, such as the root and shoot tips. Therefore, the type of tissue that
is not an example of a basic type of tissue in humans is option (C), meristem
tissue.
