Human Anatomy I:

Tissues, Skin & Bones

 Some Basic Ideas
 Anatomy describes the physical parts of an
organism
 Physiology describes the way in which those
parts work, alone and in combination
 Most organisms are organized into different
levels:
 Cells
 Tissues: groups of cells performing some specific
function
 Organs: groups of tissues performing some specific
function
 Organ systems: groups of organs performing some
specific function
 Tissue Types
 There are 4 main
kinds of tissues
 Epithelial Tissue
 Connective Tissue
 Muscle Tissue
 Nerve Tissue
 Most organs are a
combination of two
or more tissues
 Epithelial Tissue
 Serves as covering or lining of various body parts
 Involved in both absorption of material and secretion of
material
 Cells can vary in shape:
 Squamous cells are flat; found in areas where diffusion
important
 Cuboidal cells are cubes; involved in secretion and
absorption
 Columnar cells are rectangular: also used for secretion
and absorption
 Tissue can vary in # of layers:
 Simple epithelium has one layer
 Stratified epithelium has 2 or more; can be different cell
types
Clockwise from upper left:
simple columnar; simple
cuboidal; stratified
squamous
 Connective Tissues
 Perform a variety of functions
 All consist of two components:
 Living cells, scattered in a…
 Non-living matrix secreted by these
cells
 Some examples include:
 Bones
 Cartilage
 Adipose (fatty) tissue
 Blood
 Ligaments
 tendons
Major Organ
Systems
 Integumentary System
 Or, more commonly, skin!
 Major functions include:
 A barrier to injury or invasion by other organisms
 A (very large) sensory organ
 Production of body covering (hair, scales, feathers)
 Production of various substances (toxins,
pheromones, lubricants, etc.)
 Body cooling (via sweat)
 Assistance with respiration
 General Anatomy of the Skin I
 Outermost layer is the epidermis
 Living epithelial cells towards interior
 Outer layer of dead cells, many filled with
keratin (helps prevent water loss)
 General Anatomy of the Skin II
 Middle layer is the
dermis
 Contains primarily
connective tissue, plus
nerves, blood vessels,
muscles, sensory
organs
 Hairs and glands
appear to come from
this region, but
actually are infoldings
of the epidermis
 General Anatomy of the Skin III
 Inner layer is the hypodermis, or subcutaneous
layer
 Mostly a layer of adipose tissue, which helps…
 Cushion underlying organs
 In heat retention
 Also contains some nerves and blood vessels
2 Primary Skin Glands in Humans
 Sweat Glands, with two types:
 Eccrine sweat glands occur over most of body
 Release a clear fluid, mostly water with dissolved salts
 Apocrine sweat glands are found mostly in groin,
armpits, face
 Release more viscous and odor-causing fluid
 Sebaceous Glands
 Release a thicker, oily/waxy fluid called sebum
 Helps lubricate hair follicles
Human skin also possesses a
number of different kinds of
sensory receptors (for
temperature, pressure or touch,
pain)
 Skeletal System
 Major functions include:
 Protection for internal organs
 Attachment points for muscles
 Some animals possess a hydrostatic
skeleton
 Body is a fluid-filled “bag” under pressure
which animal can push against
 Others have an external skeleton, or
exoskeleton
 Still others possess an internal skeleton
Above are some hydrostatic skeletons, in
a roundworm and an earthworm. To the
right is a shed exoskeleton of a cicada.
Anatomy of the Human Skeleton
 The axial skeleton consists of bones
along the midline of the body
 Includes skull, spinal column, ribcage,
sternum
 The appendicular skeleton is everything
else
 Includes arm bones, leg bones, pelvic
girdle, pectoral (shoulder) girdle
Axial skeleton Appendicular skeleton
 3 Components of Skeleton
 Bones: the hardest
part of the skeleton
 Cartilage: more
flexible than bone
 Ligaments: a type of
connective tissue
linking two bones
 NOTE: tendons link
muscles to bones,
but we’ll look at
these with muscles
 Bone Structure
 Bones may be long, short, flat, or irregular in
shape
 Most bones have a dense region of compact
bone, and a less dense region of spongy (or
cancellous) bone
 Within the spongy bone of long and flat
bones is red marrow
 Involved in production of red blood cells
 Within the shaft region of long bones is
yellow marrow
 Mostly fat storage
 Can be converted to red marrow in emergencies
Long bones above, flat bones below
 The Inside of Bones
 The living cells in bones are called osteocytes
 Osteocytes are found within spaces called lacunae
 Osteocytes produce bone, which is the non-living matrix part
 Osteocytes are arranged (at least in compact bone) in
groups called osteons, or a Haversian system
 In the middle of each osteon is a canal containing blood
vessels to nourish the osteocytes
 Joints
 Joints occur where
two bones come into
contact and can move
relative to each other
 At the end of each
bone is a layer of
cartilage
 Ligaments link bones
 Fluid usually fills space
between bones to
reduce friction and
wear