Medicină I – Seminarul 4

BODY TISSUES (I)

Groups of cells which are similar in structure and function are called tissues. The four
primary tissue types – epithelium, connective tissue, nervous tissue, and muscle – interweave to
form the “fabric” of the body. If we have to assign a single term to each primary tissue type that
would best describe its overall role, the terms would most likely be covering (epithelium), support
(connective), movement (muscle), and control (nervous). Tissues are organized into organs such as
the heart, the kidneys, and the lungs. Most organs contain several tissue types, and the arrangement
of the tissues determines each organ’s structure and what it is able to do.

tissue - ţesut
adipose tissue - ţesut adipos; grăsime
bone tissue (syn.) osseous tissue (syn.) bony tissue - ţesut osos
connective tissue (syn.) interstitial tissue - ţesut conjunctiv, ţesut interstiţial
muscular tissue (syn.) muscle tissue - ţesut muscular
nervous tissue (syn.) nerve tissue - ţesut nervos
tissular - tisular
epithelium - epiteliu
epithelial - epitelial
to interweave, interwove, interwoven - a se îmbina, a se încrucişa
overall - total, global, general
overall health - stare generală de sănătate
covering - învelitoare, husă, membrană, căptuşire

Epithelial tissue or epithelium (epithe = laid on, covering) is the lining, covering, and
glandular tissue of the body. Glandular epithelium forms various glands in the body. Covering and
lining epithelium covers all free body surfaces and contains versatile cells. One type forms the outer
layer of the skin. Others dip into the body to line its cavities. Since epithelium forms the boundaries
that separate us from the outside world, nearly all substances given off or received by the body must
pass through the epithelium.

lining - căptuşire, înveliş; mucoasă

to line - a acoperi, a căptuşi; a linia
glandular (syn.) glandulous - glandular
glandular tissue - ţesut gladular
dip - imersiune, imersare, înmuiere, baie
to dip, dipped, dipped - a cufunda, a îmbiba, a imersa
cavity (syn.) cavitas (pl. cavitates) (syn.) cavum (pl. cava) - cavitate, cavum; cavitate a
cariei
cavitary -cavitar
boundary - limită, prag, demarcaţie
to give off – a degaja, a emana, a emite; a produce, a răspândi

The epithelial functions include protection, absorption, filtration, and secretion. For
example, the epithelium of the skin protects against bacterial and chemical damage, and that lining
the respiratory tract has cilia, which sweep dust and other debris away from the lungs. The
epithelium specialized to absorb substances lines some digestive system organs such as the stomach
and small intestine, which absorb food into the body. In the kidneys, the epithelium both absorbs
and filters. Secretion is a specialty of the glands, which produce such substances as perspiration, oil,
digestive enzymes, and mucus.
 protection - protecţie, protejare; ocrotire
protective - protector
to absorb – a absorbi, a înghiţi; a îngloba, a încorpora, a integra
absorption (syn.) absorbtio - absorbţie, aspirare; încorporare, înglobare, integrare
absorptive - absorbitor, sugativ; de amortizare
to filtrate - a filtra
filtration - filtrare
secretion - secreţie
secretory - secretor
CILI(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de geană, cil
ciliary -ciliar
cilium (pl. cilia) - cil; geană, cil palpebral
to sweep, swept, swept - a mătura; a goni
debris - rămăşiţe, fragmente; eschile osoase
perspiration - perspiraţie; sudoare
to perspire (syn.) sweat - a elimina prin sudaţie, a transpira; a asuda

Special characteristics of the epithelium

Epithelial cells fit closely together to form continuous sheets. Neighbouring cells are bound
together at many points by cell junctions, including desmosomes and tight junctions.
The membranes always have one free (unattached) surface or edge. This so-called apical
surface is exposed to the body’s exterior or to the cavity of an internal organ. The exposed surfaces
of some epithelia are slick and smooth, but others exhibit cell surface modifications, such as
microvilli or cilia.

characteristic (syn.) trait - caracteristică, trăsătură, însuşire, particularitate

sheet - cearceaf, foaie, coală, fâşie lată
bound - legat, ataşat
to bind, bound, bound - a lega, a uni, a lega, a bandaja
desmosome (syn.) bridge corpuscle - desmozom, corpuscul de legătură
junction (syn.) juncture (syn.) junctura (pl. juncturae) - joncţiune, junctură; legătură,
unire; articulaţie, încheietură
edge - margine, muchie; tăiş
apical - apical
apex (pl. apices) - apex, vârf
smooth - neted, plan, lustruit; şlefuit, fără cute
to smooth - a netezi; a egaliza; a linişti, a calma
microvillus (pl. microvilli) – microvil

The lower surface of an epithelium rests on a basement membrane, a structureless material

secreted by the cells.
Epithelial tissues have no blood supply of their own (that is, they are avascular) and depend
on diffusion from the capillaries in the underlying connective tissue for food and oxygen.
If well nourished, epithelial cells regenerate themselves easily.

basement - temelie, fundaţie, fundament, bază

basement membrane (syn.) basement lamina - membrană bazală
supply - aprovizionare, livrare; rezervă
blood supply - irigaţie, vascularizaţie
to supply - a aproviziona; a livra, a furniza
avascular (syn.) nonvascular - avascular
 to diffuse - a difuza, a răspândi; a împrăştia; a se combina prin difuziune
diffusion - difuziune, împrăştiere
to underlie - a fundamenta, a sta la baza

Classification of the epithelium

The covering and lining epithelia are classified according to cell shape and arrangement.
Squamous cells are flattened like fish scales (squam = scale), cuboidal cells are cube-shaped like
dice, and columnar cells are shaped like columns. According to the classification by cell
arrangement (layers) there are two types: simple epithelium (one layer of cells) and stratified
epithelium (more than one cell layer). The terms describing the shape and arrangement are then
combined to describe the epithelium fully. Stratified epithelia are named for the cells at the free
surface of the epithelial membrane, not those resting on the basement membrane.

squamous (syn.) scaly - scuamos, solzos

SQUAM(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de solzi
squama (pl. squamae) - scuamă
flat - plat, orizontal, întins, plan, turtit
to flatten – a aplatiza, a turti
scale - scală, scară gradată, gradare, gradaţie; solz; crustă; coajă, pojghiţă
to scale - a coji, a jupui, a decortica, a lua pielea; a detartra, a decapa
dice (sg. die) – zaruri
column (syn.) columna (pl. columnae) - coloană, columnă; stâlp, pilon
stratification - stratificare
stratified - stratificat

Connective tissue connects body parts. It is found everywhere in the body. It is the most
abundant and widely distributed of the tissue types.

Common characteristics of connective tissue

Variations in blood supply. Most connective tissues are well vascularized, but there are
exceptions. Tendons and ligaments have a poor blood supply, and cartilages are avascular.
Consequently, all these structures heal very slowly when injured. (This is why some people say that,
given a choice, they would rather have a broken bone than a torn ligament).

to distribute - a distribui, a repartiza, a difuza; a clasifica

distribution - distribuţie, repartizare, difuzare; clasificare
vascular - vascular
vascularization - vascularizaţie; formare de vase sanguine noi
vascularized - vascularizat
poor - sărac; sterp, nefertil; inferior, prost; slab, biet; deficitar
poor health - sănătate precară
poor prognosis - prognostic nefavorabil
tear - rupere, uzare; tăietură, ruptură
to tear, tore, torn - a rupe, a distruge

Connective tissues are made up of many different types of cells, plus varying amounts of a
nonliving substance found outside the cells, called the extracellular matrix. The matrix is produced
by the connective tissue cells and then secreted to their exterior. Depending on the connective tissue
type, the matrix may be liquid, semisolid or gel-like, or very hard. Because of its extracellular
matrix, connective tissue is able to bear weight and to withstand stretching and other abuses, such as
abrasion, that no other tissue could endure. But there is variation. At one extreme, fat tissue is
composed mostly of cells, and the matrix is soft. At the opposite extreme, bone and cartilage have
very few cells and large amounts of hard matrix, which makes them extremely strong.

matrix (pl. matrices) - matrice; matriţă

extracellular matrix - matrice extracelulară
intracellular matrix - matrice intracelulară
to bear, bore, borne - a duce, a ţine, a transporta; a suporta, a purta; a tolera, a răbda, a
suferi
to withstand - a rezista, a opune rezistenţă, a se împotrivi
stretching - întindere, tragere, alungire|
stretch - întindere, alungire, tensiune
abrasion - abraziune; julitură, jupuitură, zgârietură; şlefuire, lustruire, roadere, ştergere
abrasive – abraziv
to endure - a îndura, a suporta

Various types and amounts of fibers are deposited in and form a part of the matrix material.
They include collagen (white) fibers, elastic (yellow) fibers, and reticular (fine collagen) fibers.
Like the rest of the matrix, the fibers are made by connective tissue cells and then secreted.
Connective tissues perform many functions, but they are primarily involved in protecting,
supporting, and binding together other body tissues.

collagen fiber (syn.) collagenous fiber (syn.) white fiber - fibră de colagen, fibră albă
elastic fiber (syn.) yellow fiber - fibră elastică, fibră galbenă
reticular fiber – fibră reticulară
fibrous - fibros
FIBR(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de fibre
retial - reticular, relativ la o reţea
RETICUL(O)- formă combinatorie cu sensul de reticul, reţea
reticular (syn.) reticulated - reticular, reticulat, în reţea; care are aspectul unui reticul