Connective Tissue Flashcards
What organs is connective tissue found in?
What are the four types of connective tissue?
All organs
Bone
Cartilage
Blood
Connective tissue proper
What are the functions of connective tissue?
Connect other tissues and organs together (ex: ligaments and tendons)
Forms skeleton (bone and cartilage)
Carries and stores nutrients (blood, bone, adipose)
Supports blood vessels and nerves (loose areolar connective tissue)
What are the structural elements of connective tissue?
- Relatively few cells in an abundant extracellular matrix
- Cells are the living component of CT
- Connective tissue’s properties are mostly due to its matrix
What is the extracellular matrix composed of?
- Ground substance
- Protein fibers
What is the ground substance of the extracellular matrix composed of?
- Ground substance:
- varies with tissue type
- “Jelly-like”
- CT proper & cartilage
- “Fluid”
- blood
- “Mineralized”
- bone
What is the role of protein fibers in the extracellular matrix?
Provides strength and flexibiity
What are the 3 types of protein fibers?
- Collagen
- Strongest
- Most abundant
- Elastic
- ability to stretch and recoil
- Reticular
- short
- support network
What does connective tissue originate from?
Mesenchyme
(common embryonic tissue)
For a given connective tissue, the primary cell type produces the EC matrix (except ______)
blood
Define the word stem: -blast
Producing the EC matrix
A precursor cell
(osteoblast: “bone bulding”)
Define the word stem: -cyte
Maintains the EC matrix
(adipocyte: “fat maintaining”)
Define the word stem: -clast
Breaks down the EC Matrix
(chondroclast: “cartilage break down”)
What are the four main types of primary cells in connective tissue?
- Chondro-
- Fibro-
- Osteo-
- Adipo-
Define: chondro-
Where is it found?
It is the primary cell type in cartilage
Define: fibro-
Where is it found?
Primary cell type in CT proper
(ex: Fibroblasts produce EC matrix in CT proper)
Define: osteo-
where is it found?
The primary cell type in bone