connective tissue Flashcards
what is the most abundant and widely distributed tissue in the body?
connective tissue . all organs contain connective tissue , including teeth and jaw .
bone , cartilage and blood are all types of?
connective tissue
what are the functions of connective tissue ?
help in connecting tissue to one another .(ligaments and tendons )
supporting and moving (joints , cartilage , and bone)
cushioning and insulating (adipose tissue )-which is fat tissue
transportation and protection (blood)(has to do with immunity too)
storage (adipose tissue and bones
what I the periodontal ligament ?
connective tissue that binds the tooth structure to the surrounding bones.
what are the characteristic features of the connective tissue ?
originates from mesoderm germ layer
has more matrix than cells , unlike epithelial tissue (closely packed cells with less intra/extra cellular space ). connective tissue is scattered and not tightly packed
has variety of vascularity :
extracellular matrix :connective tissue is mainly composed of non-living extracellular matrix that separates the cells of the tissue
where does the connective tissue originate from?
mesoderm
what does vascularity in tissue depend on ?
-the difference in vascularity is dependent on the ground substance and how much space is between cells . the looser they are and the more space available the more vascular it will be
what does variety in vascularity mean when talking about connective tissue ?
some are avascular (cartilage)
- some are poorly vascularized (dense connective tissue)
- some are highly vascularized (like loose areolar connective tissue)
what important roles does the extra cellular function have in connective tissue ?
it plays a role in shape , structure , function of connective tissue .
what basic structural elements of the connective tissue
cells
fibers
ground substance (cells and fibers are embedded in ground substance )
some books say that water is also a component
discuss the ground substance .
it is like the glue which binds the cells and fibers together . it is the medium through which solutes diffuse between blood capillaries and cells.
the main structure of ground substance is a large structure called glycosoaminglycans (unbranched polysaccharide chains)
the composition and structure of extracellular matrix determines the function and characteristic of connective tissue. for example , if the ground structure is very thick and tough , it can form cartilage or bone . if it is loose and allows presence of vessels it will create areolar or loose connective tissue
the degree of vascularity will also rely completely on the ground substance
what’s another name of glycosoaminglycan (molecule that makes up ground substance)
sulfated polysaccharide .
what are the different types of glycosoaminglycan?
chondroitin sulfate ( jelly like , exists in cartilage and bone)
dermatin sulfate (exists in skin)
keratin sulfate (present in many areas , bone, cartilage , cornea of eye, etc)
what are other types of ground substance that are NOT glycosoaminglycan?
hyaluronic acid , which is non-sulfated polysaccharide .
we have 2 other types when proteins attach with carbohydrates
proteoglycan : if carbohydrate is more than protein
glycoprotein :protein is more than carbohydrate
what are the 3 types of matrix fibers? briefly describe each.
there are 3 main different fibers :
1.) collagen fibers (white fibers ): strongest and most abundant fiber in extracellular fibers . it is thick and unbranched . and a little flexible . provides high tensile strength .
2.) reticular fiber : short and fine and highly branched.
acts mainly as cushion and binding
- both of these fibers are made of collagen but the nature is different
3. )elastic fiber : very long and thin , unbranched , it is mainly made of elastic protein so it can actually be stretched .
what do the following suffixes mean :-blast
- cyte
- clast
- blast : young active cell that secretes matrix
- cyte:old mature cell , maintaining matrix , doesn’t secrete much
- clast: resorbs/eat matrix
what type of cells are present in connective tissue?
fibroblast: most common .secretes both fibers and ground substance of matrix . it is branched , the nucleus is oval , sometimes has nucleoulus . it’s a very active cell. it can change to fibroclast.
microphages: immune cell that are large with scalloped border . it also has a rounded nucleus. it is developed from monocyte which comes from bone marrow . main function is to engulf forge in bodies.
plasma cells: part of immune system .are responsible for anti-body secretion. they are developed from B lymphocyte.has cartwheel shaped nucleus.
immune system is mainly composed of B lymphocyte and T lymphocyte.
mast cells: immune cell that secretes 2 important materials . histamine , which is an anti inflammatory material and heparin which is an anticoagulant.
adipocyte : fat tissue that stores triglycerides . it is very large , it contains large droplet of fats . nucleus is pushed to one side (rind like structure )
connective tissue also contains immune cells.
what is the most common cell in connective tissue ?
fibroblast
what form of connective tissue is avascular ?
cartilage
what form of connective tissue is poorly vascularized ?
dense connective tissue
what type of connective tissue is highly vascularized?
loose areolar connective tissue
what makes up the extra cellular matrix ?
ground substance and fibers
what are glycosaminoglycans ?
large macromolecules (unbranched polysaccharide chains )that make up the ground substance
what do fibroblasts secrete ?
fibers and ground substance of connective tissue
