Connective Tissue Flashcards
Connective tissue origin, function and main components
Embryonic mesenchyme, a tissue developing mainly form mesoderm
Support, binds tissues together, and protects tissues and organs of the body
Cells
Protein fibers
An amorphous ground substance (proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), glycoproteins).
Together the fibers and ground substance make up the extracellular matrix. Water within the ground substance allows the exchange of nutrients and metabolic wastes between cells and the blood.
Classification types of connective tissue
Circled is connective tissue proper
Connective tissue proper
LOOSE (Areolar) CONNECTIVE TISSUE-
- forms a layer beneath the epithelial lining of many organs and fills the spaces between fibers of muscle and nerve to provide support
- highly cellular with a random arrangement of collagen fibers (and some elastic & reticular fibers)
- the most numerous cells are fibroblasts
- highly vascularised.
DENSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE -
- more collagen fibers with little ground substance and fewer cells (mostly fibroblasts)
- greater resistance to stretching
- poorly vascularised.
- 1. Dense regular connective tissue- Mainly type 1 collagen fibers oriented in the parallel direction. Found in tendons and ligaments.
- 2. Dense irregular connective tissue- Collagen fibers woven in multiple directions (not organized) and resist tensile forces from many directions. Found in dermis of skin.
Collagen fibres
- Most are type I collagen.
- Provide tensile strength - resistance to stretching.
- Thickest
Elastic fibres
- Contain elastin and fibrillin.
- Provide elasticity - can be stretched and return to its original length.
- Found in ear, alveoli and arteries.
- Thin.
- Don’t take up h and e stain, black
Reticular fibres
- Contain type III collagen.
- Provides Support - network of thin fibers.
- Found in lymphoid organs.
- Reticular fibres cannot be seen in H&E sections but can be stained by silver impregnation methods (argyrophilic).
Fixed vs transient cells
- Fixed (resident) cells remain mostly stationary within the connective tissue; they perform their functions wherever they are formed. Example, fibroblasts, adipose cells.
- Transient cells (free, migratory or wandering cells) originate mainly in the bone marrow and circulate in the bloodstream, which they leave to enter the connective tissue spaces to perform their specific functions. Example, leukocytes (white blood cells) which include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes.
Active and inactive fibroblasts
Most abundant cell type in the CT that secretes ECM comp., such as collagen/ elastin.
Active fibroblasts often reside in close association with type I collagen bundles, lying parallel to the long axis of the fibers. They are elongated, fusiform cells possessing pale-staining cytoplasm, difficult to distinguish from collagen when stained with H&E. The most obvious portion of the cell is the darker-stained, large, granular, ovoid nucleus with a well-defined nucleolus.
Inactive fibroblasts (AKA fibrocytes) are smaller and more ovoid. Their nuclei are smaller, elongated, and more deeply stained. These do not manufacture ECM.
Loose connective tissue
Dense regular connective tissue
Regular vs irregular connective tissue
White adipose tissue
Brown adipose tissue
Connective tissue membranes
Cartilage
- Avascular (nutrition by diffusion), no nerve supply, no lymphatic drainage.
- Surrounded by perichondrium except articular cartilage and fibrocartilage.
- Consists of cells and extracellular matrix (fibers + ground substance).
- The cells of cartilage are chondrogenic cells, chondroblasts and chondrocytes.
- Cartilage exhibits tensile strength, provides firm structural support for soft tissues, allows flexibility without distortion, and is resilient to compression.
- Functions as a shock absorber, its smooth surface permits friction-free movement of the joints.
- Cartilage grows by appositional and interstitial growth.