Tissue (biology)

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This article is about biological tissue. For other uses, see Tissue (disambiguation).

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Cross section of sclerenchyma fibers in plant ground tissue.

Microscopic view of a histologic specimen of human lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin.

In biology, tissue is a cellular organizational level between cells and a complete organ.

A tissue is an ensemble of similar cells and their extracellular matrix from the same
origin that together carry out a specific function. Organs are then formed by the
functional grouping together of multiple tissues.
The English word "tissue" derives from the French word "tissu", meaning that something
that is "woven", from the verb tisser, "to weave".
The study of human and animal tissues is known as histology or, in connection with
disease, as histopathology. For plants, the discipline is called plant anatomy. The
classical tools for studying tissues are the paraffin block in which tissue is embedded
and then sectioned, the histological stain, and the optical microscope. Developments
in electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and the use of frozen tissue-
sections have enhanced the detail that can be observed in tissues. With these tools, the
classical appearances of tissues can be examined in health and disease, enabling
considerable refinement of medical diagnosis and prognosis.