Connective Tissue

Question 1

What is the function of connective tissue?

Answer 1

Binds, supports and strengthens other tissues. Major transport system (due to blood being a CT) and major site for energy storage (fat and adipose tissue)

Question 2

what is CT composed of?

Answer 2

ECM + cells

Question 3

What makes up ECM?

Answer 3

GS + Fibres

Question 4

Give an example of how ECM structure can affect CT qualities?

Answer 4

Cartilage = ECM firm and rubbery 
bone = hard and inflexible

Question 5

Name the 3 different protein fibres

Answer 5

reticular
elastic
collagen

Question 6

What is GS made up of?

Answer 6

water + protein + sugar (GAGS/polysaccharides/mucopolysaccharides)

Question 7

What is GAGS? What is proteoglycans?

Answer 7

They join with core proteins to form proteoglycans
Highly polar therefore attract water
Sulphated and non-sulphated

Core protein + GAGS

Question 8

What are the 4 different sulphated GAGS?

Answer 8

Keratan
Chondroitin
Dermatan
Heparin

Question 9

Explain Hyaluronic acid

Answer 9

Non-sulphated
Does not bind directly to core protein but to proteoglycans
Trap water to make GS more jelly-like
slippery substance that binds cells, lubricates joints and maintains shape of eyeball

Question 10

Explain Hyaluronidase

Answer 10

produce by white blood cells, sperm and some bacteria

Makes a substance more liquid make movement easier or easy access for sperm to reach egg

Question 11

what does abnormal ECM mean?

Answer 11

= Periorbital ECM deposition and thyroid disease (exophthalmos)
Goitre (swollen thyroid)
common in young females
A.I on fibroblasts in ECM of eye
Deposition of GAGS and influx of water increases

Question 12

Explain collagen

Answer 12

Most abundant protein = 25%
common in bones, cartilgae, ligaments, tendons
very strong but flexible
parallel bundles

Question 13

Explain reticular fibres

Answer 13

Has collagen w coating of glycoprotein
Made by fibroblasts, form by BM
forms networks through vessels and tissues (adipose, nerve, smooth muscle)
Provide strength and support
Thin and branched

Question 14

Explain Elastic

Answer 14

Thinner than collagen
Fibrous network
Can be stretched 150% without breaking (skin, lung, BV)
protein = elastin surrounded by glycoprotein = fibrillin

Question 15

What causes Marfam disease? what is the risk?

Answer 15

Mutation on chromosome 15 (fibrillin)
TGFb cannot bind normally to fibrillin
1 in 20,000 live births

Question 16

What is the difference between the 2 major cell types in CT?

Answer 16

Adipose = stores fat and found under the skin and around organs

Fibroblasts = secrete ECM components and widely distributed

Question 17

What are the 4 other cell types of CT?

Answer 17

Mast, leucocytes (white blood cells), macrophages (histiocytes), plasma cells

Question 18

What are the 2 types of classification of CT?

Answer 18

Embryonic and Mature

Question 19

What are the 2 types of embryonic?

Answer 19

Mesenchyme =

Mucous =

Question 20

what is the role of macrophages (Histiocytes) in CT? and where can they be located?

Answer 20

They are phagocytic cells in fixed and wandering forms.
Fixed (lung) = Dust cells
Fixed (liver) = Kupffer cells
Fixed (skin) = Langerhans cells

wandering forms = sites of inflammation/site of injury

Question 21

Where can plasma cells be found in CT? And what is their role?

Answer 21

Come from B-lymphocytes and produce antibodies.

Found in salivary glands, spleen, gut, lung, red bone marrow and lymph nodes

Question 22

What is the role of Mast cells in CT?

Answer 22

Found alongside blood vessels and produce histamine which dilates blood vessels

Question 23

What are leucocytes?

Answer 23

white blood cells; ie neutrophils, eosinophils etc

Migrate out of blood