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Histology > Connective Tissue > Flashcards

Connective Tissue Flashcards

1
Q

Which embryonic mesenchyme (embryonic germ layer) does connective tissue originate from?

A

Mesoderm (mainly)

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2
Q

Roles of connective tissue?

A

-Support = cartilage & bone
-Binds tissues together
-Protects tissues & organs of body
-Stores lipids
-Provides cushion between tissues & organs
-Provides medium for diffusion of nutrients & wastes
-Attaches muscle-to-bone & bone-to-bone
-Defends against infection
(as see CT between layers of other tissues e.g., between ep & muscle layer in wall of hollow - stomach/intestines)

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3
Q

What are the 3 main components of connective tissue?

A

-Cells
-Protein fibres
-Amorphous ground substance (proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), glycoproteins) - i.e., carbs & prots –> gives mesh structure to CT

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4
Q

What are glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)?

A

-Large polysaccs - help provide turgor & determine diffusion of substances through extracellular matrix
-Link to backbone proteins to form proteoglycans
(which is why ground substance gives mesh-like structure to CT)

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5
Q

Which of the 2 components of connective tissue make up the extracellular matrix?

A

-Protein fibres
-Amorphous ground substance (proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), glycoproteins)

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6
Q

What is found in the ground substance?

A

Water

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7
Q

Purpose of water in ground substance?

A

For exchange of nutrients & metabolic wastes between cells & blood

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8
Q

What are the 3 classifications/types of connective tissue?

A

-Dense
-Loose
-Specialised

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9
Q

What are the 2 types of dense connective tissue?

A

-Regular
-Irregular

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10
Q

What are the 3 types of loose connective tissue?

A

-Areolar
-Reticular
-Adipose (could say that is specialised!)

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11
Q

What are the 4 types of specialised connective tissue?

A

-Blood
-Lymph
-Cartilage
-Bone

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12
Q

Summarise the 3 classifications of connective tissue & their corresponding sub-types.

A
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13
Q

What makes up connective tissue proper?

A

Both dense & loose connective tissue

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14
Q

What is loose (areolar) CT - & where is it found - as part of CT proper?

A

-Highly cellular
-Random collagen fibre arrangement (w/ some elastic & reticular fibres)
-Lots of fibroblasts

-Is the layer under ep of some organs
-& fills gaps between muscle fibres & nerve = gives support

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15
Q

What is dense CT - as part of CT proper?

A

-More collagen fibres (than loose)
-Little ground substance
-Fewer cells (than loose)
-Fewer cells - mostly fibroblasts
-More resistance to stretch (than loose)

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16
Q

What is dense - regular CT - & where is it found?

A

-Mainly type 1 collagen fibres - arranged in parallel (organised)
–> in tendons & ligaments

(regular = refers to collagen fibre arrangement)

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17
Q

What is dense - irregular CT - & where is it found?

A

-Collagen fibres - in v. diff/random orientations (unorganised)
*Resists tensile forces in many directions
–> in skin dermis

(irregular = refers to collagen fibre arrangement)

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18
Q

Compare loose vs dense CT in terms of blood supply.

A

*Loose – highly vascularised
*Dense – poorly vascularised

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19
Q

Purpose of collagen fibres in CT?

A

Collagen fibre abundance (lots) = protects & strengthens organs

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20
Q

What are the 3 types of fibres found in CT?

A

-Collagen (thick)
-Elastic (thin)
-Reticular (thin)

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21
Q

What are collagen fibres & what do they do?

A

-Mostly type 1 collagen fibres
–> give tensile = resistant to stretching

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22
Q

What are elastic fibres & what do they do?

A

-Contain elastin (prot) & fibrillin
-Contain less other prots & glycoprots (than the prot elastin)
-Thin
-Doesn’t take up H&E stain - but will take up another - shows up black
–> give elasticity - can be stretched & return to original length

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23
Q

Where are elastic fibres found?

A

Elastic tissues –> e.g., skin

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24
Q

What are reticular fibre & what do they do?

A

-Contain type III collagen
-Thin
-Doesn’t take up H&E stain - but will take up another - shows up black (via silver impregnation)
–> gives support - as are network of thin fibres

25
Q

Where are reticular fibres found?

A

Reticular tissue of soft organs –> e.g. - liver, spleen, LNs
-Here = they anchor & give structural support to parenchyma (functional cells, blood vs, nerves of organs)

-Image
*Black = reticular fibres in LN
*Red = lymphoid cells

26
Q

Compare the 4 types of collagen?

A

*Type I = fibrils group - gives fibres & fibre bundles –> forms component of extracellular matrix, tendons, ligaments, organ capsules
*Type II = fibrils DO NOT form fibres –> in hyaline cartilage
*Type III = fibrils group - gives fibres –> in surrounding smooth muscle cells & nerve fibres
*Type IV = DO NOT form fibrils –> major component of basal lamina

27
Q

What are the 2 types of cells in CT?

A

-Fixed/resident
-Transient/migratory

28
Q

What are fixed/resident cells in CT - & give 2 examples?

A

-Stay stationary in CT mostly
-Perform functions where are formed
*Fibroblasts
*Adipose cells

29
Q

What are transient/migratory cells in CT - & give
1 example - & its sub-types?

A

-Originate mainly in bone marrow
-Circulate in bloodstream
-Leave blood - enter CT space - perform functions here
*Leukocytes (WBCs) = neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes

30
Q

What are the 6 types of fixed/resident cells?

A

-Chondroblasts (immature) –> chondrocyte (mature) = cartilage cells
-Adipocyte
-Fibroblast
-Mesothelial cell
-Endothelial cell = blood vs
-Osteoblast (immature) –> osteocyte (mature) = bone cells

–> all originate from undifferentiated mesenchymal cell

31
Q

What are the types of transient/migratory cells?

A

(Macrophage = not really!)

32
Q

What are fibroblasts?

A

-Cell in CT
-Most abundant cell in CT
-Secretes extracellular matrix components - e.g., collagen, elastin

33
Q

What are the 2 types of fibroblasts?

A

-Active fibroblasts
-Inactive fibroblasts

34
Q

What are active fibroblasts?

A

-Often nearby to type I collagen bundles - line along these collagen fibres in parallel
-Secretes extracellular matrix
-Elongated
-Fusiform cells
-Pale staining cytoplasm = pink = eosinophilic
-Hard to tell apart from collagen - w/ H&E
-Nucleus = large, granular, ovoid - well-defined nucleolus = basophilic

(Active = refers to ability to make extracellular matrix)

35
Q

What are inactive fibroblasts?

A

aka = fibrocytes
-Smaller
-More ovoid
-Nuclei = smaller, elongates & stain more deeply (than active)
-DO NOT secrete extracellular matrix

(Inactive = refers to inability to make extracellular matrix)

36
Q

How to distinguish active vs inactive fibroblasts?

A

*NUCLEI!!! - as only really visible component of cell
-Active = larger, granular, ovoid, well-defined nucleolus = spherical!!!
-Inactive = smaller, elongated, more deeply stained = stretched!!!

37
Q

What is loose CT - role, structure?

A

-Role = holds organs in place & attaches ep tissue to other underlying tissues
-Structure = fibroblasts - close to collagen fibres (so = active) - flat nuclei often visible

*Image - shows black nuclei of fibroblasts in close proximity to collagen fibres (pink???) - also in schematic

38
Q

What does this image show - type of CT & why?

A

= Loose CT - areolar
E = elastic fibres (thinner)
C = collagen fibres (thicker)
*H&E stain - so elastic fibres = NOT stained black
-Random arranged collagen fibres

39
Q

What does this image show - type of CT & why?
Also label image

A

= Dense regular CT
-Regularly arranged collagen fibres (organised) - 1 collagen fibre orientated in parallel
-Dark (basophilic) fibroblast nuclei - in close proximity to collagen fibres - lie parallel = so are active fibroblasts
-Fibroblast’s cytoplasms blend in w/ collagen fibres

40
Q

Label with:
-CT type
-Components - i.e., what arrows point to

A

*Regular
-Organised/parallel collagen fibre arrangement
-Fibroblasts lie parallel to collagen fibres

*Irregular
-Unorganised/random collagen fibre arrangement
-Fibroblasts lie parallel to collagen fibres

41
Q

Summarise the structure, function & examples (where found) - of loose (areolar), dense irregular & dense regular - CT.

A
42
Q

What is white adipose tissue?

A

-Adipose tissue = loose CT
-Made of lobules containing adipocytes
-Unilocular adipose tissue = ‘white fat’ = contains 1/single large lipid droplet (lipid vacuole)
–> i.e., individual adipocytes contain 1 large lipid droplet
-CT septa divides tissue to form lobules

43
Q

How does white adipose tissue form?

A

-Lipoblasts develop from embryonic mesenchyme
-Lipoblasts - mature = adipocytes (cells of white adipose tissue)

44
Q

What are some features of adipocytes?

A

-Cells of white adipose tissue
-Nucleus @ periphery of cell
-Hexagonal cells
-Store fat = energy source for body tissues
–> as = specially adapted lipid-storing support cells
-Cushion some anatomical regions
-Has surrounding capillaries = transfer metabolites to & from adipocytes

45
Q

What is brown adipose tissue?

A

-Adipose tissue = loose CT
-Made of lobules containing adipocytes
-Multilocular adipose tissue = ‘brown fat’ = contains many small lipid droplets
–> i.e., individual adipocytes contain many lipid droplets (lipid vacuoles)
-These adipocytes - contain lots of mitochondria
-Rich blood supply - blood vs
-White & eosinophilic on histological slide

46
Q

What gives the brown colour of brown adipose tissue?

A

-Lots of mitochondria in adipocytes - the cytochromes of the inner mitochondrial memb
-Rich blood supply - blood vs (caps)

47
Q

White vs brown adipose tissue?

A

-White = unilocular
-Brown = multilocular

48
Q

How does brown adipose tissue form?

A

From clusters of plump eosinophilic cells

49
Q

Where is brown adipose tissue found - most concentrated?

A

-Neck
-Shoulders
-Back
-Perirenal & para-aortic regions

50
Q

Function of brown adipose tissue?

A

-Most prominent in newborns - develops in foetus
-Metabolises fat (lipid) = for heat generation in the neonatal period (as babies don’t move enough to generate heat) - contributes to thermal insulation of body!!!
–> does this via - mitochondrial metabolism of fatty acids (lipids) - as is high no. mitochondria & are multilocular
-Not in adults - lose in childhood

51
Q

What is the process that heat is generated from brown adipose tissue?

A

Non-shivering thermogenesis = inc in metabolic heat production (above basal metabolism) - NOT associated w/ muscle activity

52
Q

Features of brown adipose tissue - structure?

A

L = lipid-rich cells (multilocular)
P = polyhedral cells
-Central nuclei
-Granular, pink cytoplasm (eosinophilic)
-Vascular supply - capillaries
-Fibrocollagenous (CT) septa = divides tissue to form lobules

53
Q

Which of these is white & which is brown adipose tissue & label?

A

*White
-Unilocular = 1 large central lipid droplet
-White centre
-Peripheral nuclei
-Cytoplasm = thin peripheral ring around central vacuole of lipid = pink (little)
-Large unstained vacuole = white (= why is mainly white)
–> less eosinophilic - mostly white

*Brown
-Multilocular = many lipid droplets
-Many mitochondria in adipocytes
-Central nuclei
-Polyhedral adipocyte cells
-Small unstained vacuoles = white (little)
-Cytoplasm = pink = eosinophilic - larger! (= why are more pink stained)
–> more eosinophilic - mostly pink

*Both
-CT septum dividing lobules
-Blood vs (caps)

54
Q

What are CT membranes?

A

-Membs that encapsulate organs e.g., kidneys
-& line movable joints

55
Q

Examples of CT membranes?

A

*Mucous membs = lines passagways into body e.g., sig, urianry, reproductive & resp tracts

*Serous membs
-Pleura = lines lungs & pleural cavities lungs found in
-Peritoneum = lines abdominopelvic cavity & all organs here
-Pericardium = lines heart surface & pericardial sac surrounding heart

56
Q

What makes up serous membranes (example of CT membrane)?

A

Simple squamous ep (= mesothelium) + underlying thin areolar loose CT

57
Q

What is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome characterised by?

A

-Hereditary CT disorder
-Abnormal skin laxity
-Joint hypermobility = predisposed to joint dislocations

58
Q

Causes of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?

A

Genetic mutations in:
-Collagen gene
OR
-Enzyme linked to collagen metabolism

59
Q

What is Marfan syndrome characterised by?

A

-Tall
-Thumb & forefinger overlap when grasp wrist –> due to long fingers & thin arm
-Heart failure = common
-Acetabular protrusion = medial displacement of acetabulum & femoral head into true pelvis

Histology (14 decks)

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