Abeka Biology Test 3 Practice

That covering and lining job belongs to epithelial tissue. It forms the outer layer of the skin and lines the inside of hollow organs and cavities—mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, airways, and blood vessels—so it directly interfaces with the outside or with internal passages. It also makes up glands. Epithelial tissue is made of tightly packed cells with little space between them and sits on a basement membrane, typically lacking its own blood vessels. Its main roles are protection, plus absorption, secretion, and sometimes filtration, and it can be organized as a single layer (simple) or multiple layers (stratified) with different shapes (squamous, cuboidal, or columnar).

Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles and organs; it doesn’t primarily line internal surfaces. Muscle tissue focuses on contraction for movement, and nervous tissue specializes in transmitting nerve impulses. The description of covering and lining body parts points to epithelial tissue.