Let's Tour the Human Body...

As I am in the process of memorizing all of the human tissue cells in the span of  a week, I figured that I would share the love/pain.  If you thought memorizing the names of the presidents was a pain in US History, memorizing tissue cells is a nightmare.  My life has become looking at tissue sample slides and trying to speak Latin.  People, you are in for the tour of a lifetime: inside a university student's textbook.

Let's start with something pretty.  Reticular Connective Tissue Proper.  It is basically much a network of reticular fibers (hence the name) that resembles cheese cloth.  In some pictures the cells take on a green hue which makes the tissue look like the vines that  cover Madeline's house. RCTP composes bone marrow and the filtering-squishy part of lymph nodes.  It would be this tissue that you need to thank hand on knee each time you fight off an infection. It sorts through bacterial sludge brought in by blood cells and eats--you heard me, EATS--all of the dead cells and harmful critters hitchhiking in your blood stream.

Keeping with my connective tissue vibe, this is Adipose Connective Tissue Proper.  Some of us have more of the tissue than others, or in my case could use a little more of it. We commoners would call it "fat".  Yes, fat cells really do exist, and they are found just about everywhere in your body.  I personally think the little adipocytes are cute.  They remind me of marshmallows, and who doesn't like marshmallows?

Here is another connective tissue, Loose Areolar Connective Tissue Proper. It is fibrous, slightly jelly, elastic, contains much collagen and elastin strands, can be stretched every which way and always return to its original shape.  It is pretty much the epitome of Barbie in tissue form.  Well, at the very least it is nature's Botox found wrapped around your visceral organs. Visceral organs would be your stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen, and kidneys etc. Your gut-guts. Essentially, your innards are cradled in a stretchy jello. Lovely, eh? 

Moving on from the endless avenue of connective tissues.... Here is a rather squashed picture of Transitional Epithelial cells. They have a characteristic bulbous appearance that reminds me of candy-floss.  This "puffy" shape allows the cells to squish and contract, which is perfect for accommodating the four cups of tea I just downed. :) Transitional cells line the bladder and other such liquid holding tanks (only found in males) to the outside, dears. 

This is my favorite tissue to say, if only because knowing the name instantly adds about 20 points to your IQ.  Pseudostratified Ciliated Columnar Epithelial Tissue. Of all the tissues in the human body, PCCET is probably the nastiest.  It is rich in goblet cells, which literally puke mucus out onto the apical surface of the tissue.  In order for the tissue to move this thick mucus-barf, many of the cells are endowed with finger-like projections on their head which they use to "pass the mucus blobs" along like beach balls at a rock-music concert.  Eww?  None the less, PCCET is essential for minute by minute operation inside planet human.  The tissue lines the entire respiratory track up through your sinuses.  Thank this stuff for keeping your airways clean and for making it impossible to breathe during a sinus infection. 

One thing I have learned in the past week is that when in doubt answer "Non-Keratinized Stratified Squamous Epithelium" or "in the vagina."  Seriously, every freaking example of tissue seems to be found in the vagina. I never realized that we are so lucky, ladies.   Anyways, here is a picture of this special tissue.

It lines most openings to the outside and is probably the fastest reproducing tissue found in the human body (pun not intended). The cells are like rabbits! The top/apical layer of NKSSE sloughs off in the matter of minutes to hours and is replaced by the eager-beaver cells pushing up underneath.  With-out this tissue’s super-regenerative capabilities I would probably have a permanently burned throat from all of the hot tea I impatiently gulp.  Besides inhabiting the female reproductive system, NKSSE lines the mouth, tongue and esophagus. Boys, you can proudly boast that you have Non-Keratinized Stratified Squamous Epithelium too. :)

If you are still here, thank you for sticking through my little survey of human tissue cells. Some of you may have found this an utter bore and others of you may have been engrossed from connective tissue proper all the way down to the vaginal cells.  If you like posts along these lines, please leave a comment.  If you want me to go back to cooking and Missoula, please leave a comment.

After taking two months of Anatomy and Physiology, I think I can safely say there is a reason I am a Chem major.  Biology will forever remain the subject of Latin, memorization of alien-esc pictures and branching systematics--the spaghetti knot science. It has been fun, but I must to my memorizing of histology slides,

Cheers, kaite k ;]