Why is most tissue cellular?

Question

Most tissue is comprised of cells. Why? It would seem inefficient to have so many individual nucleus, membranes, etc.?Specifically: Not all tissue is cellular. Much tissue is extracellular matrix. Since the body _can_ use noncellular tissue, what is the role of cells in cellular tissue?Another way to ask my question: Do the cellular organelles directly contribute to the tissue and organ's function? Or are they just there to maintain the cell itself?My hypothesis is:1. In some cases, the cellular organelles directly provide the tissue's function. Eg endocrine system - synthesized at the cellular level.2. In other cases, individual cells function discretely in the tissue. Eg, nervous or muscular tissue.3. In other cases, the cell doesn't directly support the tissue's function. But it's needed to grow and preserve the tissue. Eg connective tissue.4. And finally, in cases where preserving and growing the tissue is a small enough task, a small number of cells simply extracellular tissue. Eg bone tissue.The above is my hypothesis. Is it correct? Fix, revise, or replace it with something better!

Answer 1

The main reason given for the small size of cells is that as cells get bigger they lose significant surface area vs. volume. this means that cells have a max size limit.

While it's true that tissues also incorporate substances besides cells such as extracellular matrix it is a general principle that cells > tissues > organs > organism...

depends on wording semantics and how your teacher wants to interpret things.

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