Connective and Adipose Tissue

Question 1

Six connective tissue functions

Answer 1

1) Connects cells to form tissues, tissues to organs
2) Transportation - medium for diffusion
3) Protection - provides a vision between tissues and organs
4) Storage - Adipose tissue
5) Defence against infection
6) Wound Healing - Macrophages, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts

Question 2

What are the three fibres in connective tissue?

Answer 2

Collagen - Flexible with high tensile strength

Reticular - Provides a supporting framework

Elastin - Allows tissues to recoil after stretch or distension

Question 3

What are the constituents of ground substance?

Answer 3

• Water
• Proteoglycans
• Glycosaminoglycans (hyaluronic acid)

Question 4

What is the extra cellular matrix made of?

Answer 4

Ground substance and fibres

Question 5

Characteristics of loose connective tissue are:

Answer 5

• Many cells
• Sparse collagen fibres
• Abundant ground substance
• Viscous, gel consistency
• Important role in transport by diffusion

Question 6

Characteristics of dense connective tissue are:

Answer 6

• Few cells, nearly all fibroblasts
• Many collagen fibres
• Little ground substance

Question 7

Where is loose connective tissue primarily located?

Answer 7

• Beneath epithelia (to facilitate diffusion)
• Associated with epithelium of glands
• Located around small blood vessels

Question 8

Regular Dense connective tissue characteristics:

Answer 8

Collagen fibres arranged in parallel bundles

Densely packed

Designed to withstand stress in a single direction

(Tendons, ligaments…)

Question 9

Irregular dense connective tissue characteristics:

Answer 9

Collagen fibres arranged in bundles in various directions

Designed to withstand stress in multiple directions

(Submucosa of intestine, deep layers of dermis)

Question 10

Fixed cells in connective tissue:

Answer 10

• Fibroblasts
• Melanocytes
• Mast cells
• Macrophages
• Adipocytes
• Mesenchymal ‘stem cells’

Question 11

Wandering/immune cells in connective tissue:

Answer 11

• Leucocytes
• Plasma cells
• Monocytes
• Eosinophils
• Basophils

Question 12

What do fibroblasts do?

Answer 12

Synthesise and secrete ground substance.

Question 13

What cells are macrophages derived from?

Answer 13

Monocytes

Question 14

What substances do the granules in Mast cells contain?

Answer 14

• Histamine
• Heparin
• Substances to attract eosinophils and neutrophils

Question 15

What do adipose tissue cells look like in H and E staining?

Answer 15

Empty

Question 16

Characteristics of white fat cells:

Answer 16

Filled by a single fat droplet

Cytoplasm to rim of the cell

Nucleus to one side

Question 17

Characteristics of brown fat cells:

Answer 17

Contain many lipid droplets and a central nucleus

Brown due to rich vascular supply and abundant mitochondria