Connective Tissue Flashcards
Connective tissue ranges from what to what?
blood to bone
What is the purpose of connective tissue?
supportive framework for organs and a continuous tissue compartment throughout the body
How is connective tissue formed?
by several cell and fiber types located in the extracellular matrix
What are the 3 categories of connective tissue?
embryonic, adult, special
What is embryonic connective tissue?
largely hydrophilic extracellular matrix, few cells
What is adult connective tissue?
variable proportions of cells, fibers, and extracellular matrix
What is special connective tissue?
special properties NOT found in adult or embryonic tissue
What are the 3 types of connective tissue?
mesenchyme, loose, dense
What is loose connective tissue?
irregular (areolar); immune, GI, lymphocytes
What are the 2 types of dense connective tissue?
irregular (fibers in different directions) and regular (bone ligament)
What does specialized connective tissue include?
cartilage, bone, blood, adipose, hemopoietic, lymphatic
What is mesenchyme tissue?
- differentiation into connective tissue during fetal development
- embryonic
Boney spicules are present in what type of connective tissue?
mesenchyme
What is the bone development in mesenchyme tissue?
flat from mesenchyme -> intramembranous
What are the types of tissue found in adult connective tissue?
loose and dense
What are the cell types within loose and dense connective tissue?
fibroblasts macrophages, mast cells
What is the purpose of loose connective tissue?
- surrounds blood vessels, nerves, tissues
- facilitates movement and provides connections
Loose connective tissue is composed of more …. than ….
cells; collagen/elastic fibers
Dense connective tissue is composed of more …. than ….
collagen fibers; cells
What are the 2 types of fibroblasts?
not terminally differentiated and terminally differentiated
What does reticular (type 3 collagen) stain with?
silver (metal)
What are the 4 major cell types found in connective tissue?
plasma, mast, macrophage, fibroblast
What are the 3 types of fibers produced by fibroblasts?
- collagen (type 4)
- elastic
- reticular (type 3 collagen)
What is the purpose of fibroblasts?
synthesize collagen
The process of synthesizing collagen includes what organelles?
- rough ER: synthesis of pre and procollagen
- golgi: packaging/secretion of procollagen
- extracellular matrix: enzymatic processing, self aggregation, cross linking
Mast cells produce what?
histamine
What are the 2 types of mast cells?
mucosal and connective tissue proper
Where are mucosal mast cells found?
in loose connective tissue under mucosal epithelium
What cell is the largest in connective tissue?
mast cells
What are the immune cells of connective tissue?
- plasma: produces antibodies form beta lymphocytes
- mast: produces response to allergic reaction
- macrophages: have lysosomes
What color do the 4 main types of cells stain under the microscope?
purple (H stain)
What are the major components of the extracellular matrix?
proteoglycan aggregates
What do proteoglycan aggregates consist of ?
glycosaminoglycans
Glycosaminoglycans exist as proteins complex with what polysaccharides?
keratin sulfate and chondroitin sulfate
What is the purpose of glycosaminoglycans?
control the biological function of proteoglycans by establishing links with cell surface components, growth factors, others
The extracellular matrix is the site of what activities?
nutritive and degrading
What are examples of glycoproteins?
fibronectin and laminin
What constitutes the ground substance of connective tissue?
proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycosaminoglycan
What does the function of the extracellular matrix rely on?
interactions between the ground substance molecules
What major cell type synthesizes elastic fibers?
fibroblasts (smooth muscle cells and chondroblasts)
How are mature elastic fibers formed?
when tropoelastin interacts with fibrillin to organize immature elastic fibers
What are the 2 uncommon amino acids in elastin?
desmosine and isodesmosine
What are the 2 types of dense irregular connective tissue?
reticular and elastic
What is reticular tissue?
reticular fibers predominate, cells are fibroblasts
What is elastic tissue?
elastic fibers made by either fibroblasts or smooth muscle cells
Where can reticular tissue be found?
lymphoid organs
Where is dense irregular tissue found?
in areas that enable force transmission but allow for some movement; multiple directions
Where is dense regular tissue found?
in tendons, ligaments, cornea of the eye; transmission of physical force/light energy; unidirectional