Connective tissue Flashcards
Functions of connective tissue
Mechanical support Metabolic Transport Storage Defense and protection
Classification of connective tissue
Connective tissue proper: loose, dense (regular, irregular)
Specialized: Adipose, elastic, reticular
Skeletal CT: cartilage, bone
Blood
General composition of connective tissue
Cells: fibroblasts, chondroblasts, osteoblasts…
ECM:
- fibers
- Ground substance (GAG, PG, GP)
Cells of connective tissue proper
Fixed cell Population: fibroblasts, reticular cells, adipocytes, pericytes, macrophages
Wandering cell Population: White blood cells, Plasma cells
Fibroblasts
- Fusiform (spindelförmig)
- Many cytoplasmic processes when activated
- Large ovoid nucleus
- Basophilic cytoplasm with rER, Golgi apparatus, mitochondira
synthesize and secrete ECM and growth factors - Major role in active growth and wound healing
Mature fibroblasts
= fibrocytes smallerheterochromatic nuclei Acidophiic cytoplasm do not divide not active
Myofibroblasts
growth factor –> fibroblasts turn into myofibroblasts
properties of both fibroblasts and myoblasts
actin Filaments transverses cytoplasm
–> wound closure after injury and then apoptosis
–> synthesize ECM
Reticular cells
Star shaped with Long cytoplasmic processes
synthesize type III Collagen
Found in stroma of hemopoietic and immune organs
Adipocytes
throughout loose CT
Pericytes
also called: adventitial cells or perivascular cells
Around capillaries and postcapilarry venules
Have characterisitcs of smooth muscles cells
Are a type of mesenchymal stem cells
contract
Undifferentiated mesenchymal (stem) cells
adult stem cells reside in niches
niches are found in bone marrow and loose CT
Macrophages
- derived from monocytes
- irregularly shaped with kidney shaped nucleus
- when activated: pseudopodia
- have ingested material in their cytoplasm (lysosomes, vesicles, Golgi apparatus, rER)
- belong to the Mononulcuear Phagocyte System
Function: Phagocytosis as defense or clean up Antigen presentation (Antigen presenting cells APC)
Dendritic cells
- Antigen presenting cells
- Long, branched cytoplasmic processes
- In tissues in contact with external Environment –> Spleen and lymph nodes
- Dendritic cells of Skin and oral mucosa: langerhans
Mast cells
- develop in bone marrow
- differentiate in CT
- large ovoid cell
- spherical nucleus
- cytoplasm with basophilic granules
- granules contain histamine, Heparin
- for Inflammation and hypersensitivity –> increasing the permeability of blood vessels and increasing of mucous production; smooth muscle contraction in bronchial tree
Leukocytes in CT
Neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and lymphocytes are wandering cells in CT
Plasma cells
- large
- from B lymphocytes
- large, eccentric nucleus
- Basophilic cytoplasm because rER and Golgi
–> synthesize and secrete antibodies
CT fibers
- Collagen fibers
- Reticular fibers
- Elastic fibers
Fibroblasts can synthesize all fibers, but not all fibers are synthesized by fibroblasts:
- Cartilage: Chrondroblasts –> Collagen and elastic fib.
- Aorta: smooth muscle cells –> elastic fibers
- Lymph nodes: reticular cells –> reticular fibers
- BM: epithelial cells –> Collagen fibers
Collagen fibers
- composed of Collagen protein
- felxible, unbranched, high tensile strength
- bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, Skin, Cornea…
Structure: either in different directtions or highly organized
–> each bundle appears as a bundle of fine subunits: COLLAGEN FIBRILS
Collagen fibrils
made of Collagen molecules
Collagen (tropocollagen)
three Alpha polypeptide chains –> triple Helix (Collagen fibril)
Many Collagen fibrils –> Collagen bundle (Collagen Fiber)
Collagen types (Fibril forming)
I –> Skin, tendons, ligaments
II –> cartilage, vitreous of eye
III –> Skin, muscle, blood vessels, immune organs
Collagen types (Basement membrane forming)
IV; VI; VII –> link epithelial tissue to b.m. and ECM
Collagen synthesis
- transcription of Collagen genes
- 3 Alpha chains into triple Helix in rER
- Through Golgi apparatus –> Oligosaccharides are added
- secretory vesicles
- procollagen/triple helix is secreted from cell
Foramtion Collagen fibrils
- PROCOLLAGEN PEPTIDASE: cleaves uncoiled Ends of procollagen
- Collagen molecules into Collagen fibrils
- Collagen fibrils into Collagen fibers