Cue Column | Notes Column
What are the 4 tissue types? | Animal tissues: (1) Epithelial, (2) Connective, (3) Muscular, (4) Neural. Each performs specialized functions.
Key property of epithelial tissue? | Tightly packed cells on a basement membrane; avascular; depends on connective tissue for nourishment. Simple (one layer) vs. compound (multiple layers).
Most abundant tissue? | Connective tissue — characterized by extensive extracellular matrix (ECM). Subtypes: Loose (areolar, adipose) → Dense (tendon, ligament) → Specialized (cartilage, bone, blood).
3 muscle types — core distinction? | Skeletal: striated + voluntary + multinucleated. Smooth: non-striated + involuntary + uninucleated. Cardiac: striated + involuntary + intercalated discs + autorhythmic.
Neural tissue components? | Neurons (cyton + dendrites + axon) and neuroglia (Schwann cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia). Only neurons are excitable.
Frog key facts? | 3-chambered heart; ureotelic; mesonephric kidneys; 10 cranial nerve pairs; external fertilization; cutaneous + buccopharyngeal + pulmonary respiration.
Summary
Animal tissues are the building blocks of organ systems. The four types differ fundamentally: epithelium covers/lines (avascular, basement membrane), connective tissue supports/fills (ECM-rich), muscle tissue contracts (three types with distinct properties), and neural tissue communicates (excitable neurons + support glia). For NEET, the single most tested fact is that cardiac muscle is striated AND involuntary — the only tissue where these two properties coexist.