Connective Tissue Flashcards
General Characteristics of Connective Tissue
-Support and connect tissue
-Maintains water as an interstitial fluid for nutrient and metabolic diffusion
-Made of ECM rather than cells
Extracellular Matrix (ECM) is composed of
-Protein fibers and ground substance
Connective tissue proper forms
Stroma, which supports organs’ unique functional component or parenchyma
What is mesenchyme
Embryonic connective tissue
-Uniformly and undifferentiated cells that form gel-like in the matrix with collagen fibers
Types of connective tissue
-Loose connective tissue
-Dense irregular connective tissue
-Dense regular connective tissue
-Embryonic connective tissue
-Specialized connective tissue
Loose connective tissue
-more ground substance than collagen
-Lining of the digestive tract
-Surround small blood vessels and areas around other epithelia
Dense irregular connective tissue
-Randomly distributed bundles of collage and elastic fiber
-Dermis, organ capsules, submucosa layer of the digestive tract
-Provides resistance from tearing from all directions and elasticity.
Dense regular connective tissue
-Ligaments, tendons, and corneal stroma
-Provides strength but does not stretch
Embryonic connective tissue
Mesenchyme and mucoid tissue
Mucoid tissue
-Gel-like connective tissue found in blood vessels in the umbilical cord
-Contains hyaluronan, fibroblast and ECM
Specialized connective tissue
-Bone marrow, pancreas, liver, all lymphoid organs except thymus.
-Delicate network of type III collagen
Hyaluronic acid is abundant in
embryonic mesenchyme.
-it binds cells together, lubricates joints, and attracts water
Chondroitin sulfate
-Type of glycosaminoglycan
-Disaccharide units of chondroitin are used to supplement joint health
Fiber Types
-Collagen fibers
-Reticular fibers
-Elastic fibers
Collagen Fibers
- Most important and abundant
-protein with 20 related types
-Forms fibers, sheets/networks. and anchors for other collagens
Reticular fibers
-Abundant in lymphoid and immune tissue
-Delicate network of type III collagen
The stain is very dark silver.
Elastic Fibers
-Composed of elastin and fibrillin
-Found in skin, lungs, arteries, veins, connective tissue proper, elastic cartilage, periodontal tissue, fetal tissue and other tissues that undergo stretching
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone)
-Caused by the change of ONE nucleotide in the gene for type III collagen
Scurvy
-Environmentally induced due to lack of vitamin C
-Results in mouth ulcers and hemorrhages
Fibroblasts connective tissue
-Major and permanent cells of connective tissue
-Elongated, irregular shaped with oval nuclei
-Synthesize and secrete most components of ECM including fiber
Macrophages
-White blood cells that differentiate from precursor blood cells called monocytes
-Function in phagocytosis of dead cells and debris, and antigen presentation to lymphocytes
-They attack any cells lacking the proteins of healthy body cells
Monocytes
-A type of bone marrow cell that travels in the blood.
-Will differentiate into macrophages as well as a number of other cell types
Mast cells
-White blood cells that are part of the immune system
-Basophilic due to their secretory granules
-Release vasoactive agents and other substances during inflammatory and allergic reactions and tissue repair
Increased vascular permeability is caused by
-substances such as histamine released from mast cells
Edema
-Increased blood flow and vascular permeability produce local tissue swelling
-Excessive accumulation of interstitial fluid
Intermediate hypersensitivity reaction
-They occur within a few minutes after re-exposure of an individual already synthesized to that antigen
Plasma cells
-White blood cells that release large amounts of antibodies
Ground substance is important in
water balance, especially in capillaries and surrounding tissues
Glycoproteins
-Proteins with glycan attached
-Found in blood, ECM, and plasma membrane
-Functions from antibodies and hormones
How does skin repair happen?
-Blood quickly cloths the wound site releasing blood factors and other substances
-Macrophages and neutrophils enter the wound as inflammation begins
- Epithelial cells from cute edges migrate beneath and through blood cloths
-Fibroblast proliferate and produce new collagen to form granulation tissue
-Epidermis re-establishes continuity over wound.
