Difference Between Tissues and Organs

TISSUES vs ORGANS

The study of the structure and function of the human body is referred to as anatomy and physiology. Knowledge of the structures and functions of the body allows us to view how our body will react to a stimulus. The scientific discipline that focuses on the body’s structure is termed as anatomy where it covers a broad scope of studies which include the processes by which these structures are developed, the form of structures, and their microscopic organization. On another note, the scientific study that focuses on the functions and processes of living creatures is known as physiology. In physiology, it is vital to know that structures are always dynamic and never constant. Predicting and understanding the body’s reaction to stimuli and recognizing how our system adapts to varying conditions within a narrow range of values in a continuously changing environment are the major goals in physiology. The human body is no doubt a very complex entity since its structure always follows the structural level of organization. The human body can be studied at seven structural levels starting with the chemical structure, where there is interaction between atoms, and ends with the organism level, but we will only discuss and distinguish the differences between tissues and organs.

A tissue is defined as a collection of similar cells with similar functions and structures plus the extracellular materials found in-between cells. Histology is the microscopic study of the structures of tissues. Tissues have four basic classifications: connective tissue, muscular tissue, epithelial tissue, and nervous tissue. Tissues whose function is to link cells and other tissues together are called connective tissues. This certain type of tissue provides structure and support to the body through its framework; it is also characterized by large amounts of extracellular matrix that allows cells to be unattached from one another. Muscular tissue has the ability to shorten or contract which allows movement. This contraction is made possible by the contractile proteins found inside these muscle cells. Since muscle tissues appear to be tiny threads, they are also termed as muscle fibers. Epithelial tissue covers the entire body surface and forms glands like the skin or the outer surface of the body and the linings of the cavities. Epithelial tissue is mainly made up of cells that have very little amount of extracellular fluids in-between. Nervous tissue is accountable for controlling and coordinating the activities of the body. Nervous tissue transmits electrical impulses to and from the brain and spinal cord for movements.

On the other hand, an organ is composed of clusters of two or more tissues which function for one or more common functions. An organ comes after tissues in the structural level. The eyes, heart, kidneys, liver, and the skin are a few examples of the organs in the body. The largest known organ in our body is the skin.

Some notable differences between tissues and organs are as follows: Since an organ is composed of collections of similar tissues; therefore, an organ is larger than tissues. In addition, an organ can perform several jobs and functions in complexities while tissues can perform a single or simple task. Also, the mere fact that an organ is apparently larger than a tissue is an implication that it needs more energy or ATP to execute its tasks. Lastly, organs are much more recognizable over tissues.

SUMMARY:

1.A tissue is a collection of similar cells with similar functions and structures while an organ is composed of clusters of two or more tissues which function for one or more common functions.

2.An organ is larger than tissues.

3.An organ can perform several jobs and functions in complexities while tissues can perform a single or simple task.

4.Organs need more energy or ATP to execute their functions.

5.Organs are much more recognizable over tissues.

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