The four main tissue types in the human body.

• A. epithelial, connective, muscle, nervous
• B. tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage
• C. blood, bone, cartilage, fat
• D. nerve, muscle, skin, bone

Answer: (A)

All body tissues fall into four broad types: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous. Epithelial tissue forms surfaces and linings, protecting and controlling what passes through and also forming glands. Connective tissue provides support and connection throughout the body, seen in bones, cartilage, blood, adipose tissue, and the connective networks like fascia. Muscle tissue is responsible for contraction and movement, with skeletal, smooth, and cardiac types. Nervous tissue handles communication and coordination, comprising neurons and supporting cells in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

In sports massage, this breakdown helps you understand how techniques influence different tissues—muscle targets muscular tissue, connective tissue like fascia and tendons responds to sustained pressure and mobilization, epithelial surfaces protect underlying layers, and nervous tissue relates to sensation and reflex responses.

The other options mix specific tissues or structures rather than the four broad tissue categories. For example, tendons and ligaments are connective-tissue structures, bones and cartilage are connective tissues with distinct roles, and nerves or skin involve multiple tissue types rather than representing the four main categories as a whole.