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Definition

noun, plural: tissues

An aggregate of cells in an organism that have similar structure and function.

Supplement

The fundamental types of tissues in animals are epithelial, nerve, connective, muscle, and vascular tissues whereas in plants, they are the meristematic (apical meristem and cambium), protective (epidermis and cork), fundamental (parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma) and vascular (xylem and phloem) tissues. Tissues that work in unison to carry out a specific set of functions form an organ.

Word origin: Middle English tissu, a rich kind of cloth, from Old French, from past participle of tistre, to weave, from Latin texere.

Related forms: tissuey (adjective), tissular (adjective).

See also: cell differentiation, organ, histology.