Connective tissue Flashcards
What are the characteristics of connective tissue?
Physically connects other tissues and cells to form organs
Binding material
Metabolic support
Highly vascular
Rich in nerve plexus and lymph vessels
What are the extracellular elements of connective tissue?
Ground substance of GAGs, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins
Collagen
Elastin
Reticular
What is the purpose ground substance?
Diffusion of small molecules
Lubrication
Barrier to microorganisms
What are the characteristics of collagen?
Wavy collagen fibrils bundled
Synthesized by fibroblasts
Resistant to shearing and tearing forces
What are the characteristics of reticular fibers?
Collagen type III
Extensive support network
Keep cells in position
What are the characteristics of elastic fibers?
Branching pattern
Interwoven with collagen
Elastin core surrounded by fibrillin
Random coiling
Where do we see elastic fibers?
Sheets in aorta
Bundles in skin, lungs, uterus, vertebral column, neck
What are the two classifications of connective tissue cells?
Resident cells
Wandering/transient cells
What are the resident cells?
Fibroblast
Adipocytes
Macrophages
Mast cells
Stem cells
What are the wandering cells?
Lymphocytes
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Monocytes
Plasma cells
What are the characteristics of fibroblasts?
Principle cells
Synthesis of EC elements
Elongated nucleus
What are the characteristics of mast cells?
Develop in bone marrow
Store mediators of inflammation (histamine and heparin)
What are the characteristics of macrophages?
Derived from monocytes
Abundant in lysosomes
What are three classifications of connective tissue?
Embryonic
Proper
Specialized
What are the two types of embryonic CT?
Mesenchymal
Mucoid
What are the two types of CT proper?
Loose
Dense
What are the two types of dense CT?
Regular
Irregular
What are the types of specialized CT?
Bone
Cartilage
Blood and hemopoietic
Lymphatics
Adipose
What are the characteristics of loose connective tissue?
Ground substance with scant fibers
Surrounds glands, blood vessels, and beneath epithelia
What are the characteristics of irregular dense CT?
Few cells, random spreading of collagen fibers, less ground substance
Protects and supports organs
Resists stretching and distension
What are the characteristics of regular dense CT?
Parallel arrays of collagen fibers with few fibroblasts and little ground substance
Tendons, ligaments, aponeuroses
