Case 23- Cartilage Flashcards
Connective tissue
- Connective tissue (CT) arises from mesoderm. Mesoderm forms mesenchyme which is embryonic connective tissue
- Consists of cells positioned far apart and surrounded by the extracellular matrix (ECM)
- Fibroblasts are major cell type of CT
- Cell type and ECM components depend on type of CT. All CT has the same basic structure
- Types of connective tissue- cartilage and bone, blood, adipose and lymph. Blood and lymph are a type of specialised connective tissue
What causes the functional differences in connective tissue
Depends on the specific organisation of its constituents:
• Extracellular matrix components= fibre types: Collagen and elastin (produced by fibroblasts). Also have ground substance (water and glycosaminoglycans), this is the liquid part of the extracellular matrix
• Cells: Fibroblasts, osteocytes (bones), chondrocytes (cartilage), adipocytes (fat). Immune cells- mast cells, plasma cells and macrophages
Ending blast and cyte
- blast= immature cell type
- cyte- mature cell type
Function of connective tissue- overview
Function can be protective and structural as well as connective. For example, tendon and ligament are connective but bone is structural. CT components depend on location and function.
Typical connective tissue structure
- Epithelium
- Basement membrane
- Fibroblasts
- Elastin
- Macrophage- immune cell which contributes to connective tissue
- Adipocyte
- Reticulin (type III collagen)
- Ground substance- surrounds the cells and fibres
- Plasma cell
- Mast cell
- Collagen- produced by fibroblasts, beneath the epithelium and basement
Typical connective tissue structure
- Epithelium
- Basement membrane
- Fibroblasts
- Elastin
- Macrophage- immune cell which contributes to connective tissue
- Adipocyte
- Reticulin (type III collagen)
- Ground substance- surrounds the cells and fibres
- Plasma cell
- Mast cell
- Collagen- produced by fibroblasts, beneath the epithelium and basement
Connective tissue cell types
- Fibroblasts- Synthesise extracellular matrix, collagen, elastin
- Osteoblasts (immature form of osteocyte)- Synthesise bone matrix, the osteoblast mature into osteocytes and get trapped within the bone
- Chondrocytes- Synthesise cartilage matrix
- Mesenchymal cell- Undifferentiated stem cells, found in the embryo and adults
- Adipocytes- White/brown
- Immune cells- Mast cells, macrophages, plasma cells
Fibroblasts
- Immature cells
- Produce extracellular matrix, collagen and elastic fibres
- Mobile and undifferentiated
- Proliferate in response to injury
Fibrocytes- inactive fibroblast
Mature cell, maintains tissue
Collagen fibre
- Fibres of extracellular matrix
- Produced by fibroblasts
- 28 types including 5 common types (I-V)
- Type I: Triple helix– tropocollagen. High tensile strength so found in tendons
Elastic fibres
- Elastin is an extensible protein
- It allows body tissues to spring back into shape i.e. lungs, skin, bladder
- Low turnover as we age- wrinkles
Two components of Elastic fibres
- Central core- loosely cross linked elastin fibres
* Glycoprotein outer coat- Microfibrils (fibrillin)
Types of soft connective tissue
- Loose (low collagen)- areolar, adipose (unilocular/multilocular), reticular (liver/endocrine/glands/ spleen/ lymph nodes), synovial
- Dense (high collagen)- regular i.e. tendon/ ligaments/ joint/ capsule. Irregular i.e. dermis
Skeletal connective tissue
- Cartilage- hyaline (smooth, on the articular surface of bones), elastic, fibrocartilage
- Bone (calcified ECM- solidified by osteoblasts)- woven (immature), haversian (mature)
- Dental (mineralised)- dentine, enamel
Specialised/Mesenchyme CT
Specialised CT- blood/lymphoid
Mesenchyme (embryonic)
Soft connective tissue- loose aereolar connective tissue
- Areolar = “small open space”
- Subcutaneous CT
- Areolar CT can be described as packing material
- Also transports gases from blood vessels to tissues
- Lots of ground substance and fibroblasts- causes lots of open spaces
Categories of adipose tissue
Can define the type of adipose tissue by the number of locules (small compartments) per cell. White adipose is unilocular so only has one compartment (fat droplet) per cell whilst brown adipose is multilocular so there are multiple fat droplets per cell.
Adipose connective tissue (loose)- White adipose (unilocular)
- Contains CT fibres (e.g. reticulin)
- Subcutaneous
- Each cell contains one fat droplet
Adipose connective tissue (loose)- Brown adipose (multilocular)
- Multiple fat droplets
- Contains many mitochondria
- Energy release - heat
- High levels in neonates, infants
Synovial membrane- soft CT
- Loose soft connective tissue
- Lines non-articular surfaces in joints
- A form of connective tissue which is made of other types of connective tissue
- Secretes synovial fluid (blood plasma, hyaloronan and glycoproteins)
- Thin outerlayer (intima)- composed of macrophages or fibroblasts
- Vacularised inner layer (subintima)- composed of loose areolar, loose fibrous or adipose.
Reticular connective tissue- soft CT
- Loose connective tissue
- Found in liver endocrine glands, lymph nodes, spleen
- Made of a network of fine collagen III fibres (reticulin)
Dense regular connective tissue
- e.g tendon, ligament
- Tendons have a lot of type 1 collagen, high tensile strength. Type of Soft, dense, regular connective tissue
- Found in fibrous joint capsule and the gums
- Lots of collagen
- Ordered, linear structure
- Formation requires vitamin C
Scurvy
Lack of vitamin C, reduced collagen in the gums. Teeth fall out
Dense irregular connective tissue
- Collagen Fibres arranged in irregular pattern
- Fibroblasts
- Small amount of ECM
- E.g deep dermis
Types of skeletal connective tissue
• Dental- dentine, enamel
• Bone- woven (immature), Haversian (mature)
• Cartilage - Hyaline (Articular, respiratory, growth plates)
- Fibrocartilage (joints, intervertebral discs)
- Elastic (Epiglottis, Ear, Larynx)
Structure of cartilage
- Cell types- Chondroblasts, immature cells which synthesise the matrix
- Perichondrium- outer layer of cartilage
- Matrix
- Chondrocytes- mature form of the chondroblasts which are stuck in the matrix
- Lipid droplets