What is the definition of nerve tissue?

Nerve tissue is specifically defined as the type of body tissue that conducts or transmits impulses throughout the body. This function is crucial, as the primary role of nerve tissue is to facilitate communication between different parts of the body through electrical and chemical signals. It consists of neurons, which are specialized cells capable of generating and transmitting these impulses, and glial cells, which support and protect the neurons.

The other choices relate to different types of tissues in the body. Muscle tissue is involved in the movement and contraction of the body and is composed of muscle cells. Connective tissue serves to support and bind other tissues and organs, playing a vital role in the structural integrity of the body. Capillary networks in the brain refer to the small blood vessels that supply the nerve tissue with oxygen and nutrients, but they do not define what nerve tissue itself is. Thus, the definition that accurately encapsulates nerve tissue is the one focused on its ability to conduct or transmit impulses.