Connective Tissue (Components and Purpose) Flashcards

1
Q

What are the purposes of connective tissue?

A

Binds and strengthens other body tissues, acts as a transport system, stores energy reserves

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2
Q

Where is connective tissue not found?

A

Body surfaces (if you can see your connective tissue it’s a bad thing)

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3
Q

Are connective tissues generally highly vascular?

A

Yes (with few exceptions)

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4
Q

Which connective tissues are not highly vascular?

A

Cartilage (avascular) and tendons (little blood supply)

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5
Q

Is connective tissue supplied by nerves?

A

Yes (with one exception)

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6
Q

Which connective tissue is not supplied by nerves?

A

Cartilage

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7
Q

What are the components of connective tissue?

A

Cells and an Extracellular Matrix

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8
Q

What are the components of the Extracellular Matrix?

A

Ground Substance and Protein Fibers

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9
Q

Which component of connective tissue primarily dictates its qualities?

A

The Extracellular Matrix (Cartilage: ECM is firm and Rubbery

Bone: ECM is hard and inflexible)

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10
Q

What are the components of Ground substance?

A

Water, Proteins and Polysaccharides (Sugars)

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11
Q

What are the sugars in the Ground Substance?

A

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGS)

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12
Q

Glycosaminoglycans join with core proteins to form what?

A

Proteoglycans

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13
Q

What is another word for Glycosaminoglycans?

A

Mucopolysaccharides

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14
Q

Glycosaminoglycans are ___ ___ polysaccharides, chains of ___ units of ___

A

Long unbranched polysaccharides, chains of repeating units of sugars

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15
Q

What are 4 different sulphated Glycosaminoglycans?

A

Dermatan Sulphate, Heparin Sulphate, Keratan Sulphate and Chondroitin Sulphate

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16
Q

What is a non-sulphated glycosaminoglycan?

A

Hyaluronic acid

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17
Q

Can Dermatan Sulphate, Heparin Sulphate, Keratan Sulphate and Chondroitin Sulphate bind with core proteins to form proteoglycans?

A

Yes

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18
Q

Can Hyaluronic acid bind to core proteins to form proteoglycans?

A

No

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19
Q

Glycosaminoglycans are highly polar and so attract ___ towards them

A

Water

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20
Q

The proteoglycan and hyaluronic acid complex becomes very ___ due to the glycosaminoglycans attracting ___ towards it

A

Hydrated, Water

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21
Q

Because the hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan complex becomes so hydrated, it becomes ___

A

Slippery

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22
Q

What does the slipperiness of the proteoglycan and hyaluronic acid complex allow it to do?

A

Form many lubricating substances around the body and allow cells to move past within the extracellular matrix

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23
Q

What does hyaluronic acid do?

A

Binds cells together and lubricates joints

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24
Q

What enzyme “eats up” hyaluronic acid?

A

Hyaluronidase

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25
Q

What does hyaluronidase do to the ground substance?

A

Makes it more liquid and easier for things to pass through it

26
Q

What things make hyaluronidase?

A

White blood cells, sperm and some bacteria

27
Q

Where are fibroblasts found?

A

Widely distributed through connective tissues

28
Q

Can fibroblasts move?

A

Yes they are migratory

29
Q

What is the purpose of fibroblasts?

A

They secrete components of the ECM (fibres and ground substance)

30
Q

What are adipocytes?

A

Fat cells

31
Q

Where are adipocytes found?

A

Under the skin and around organs

32
Q

What do adipocytes store?

A

Fat (triglycerides)

33
Q

What is another word for a macrophage?

A

Histiocyte

34
Q

Macrophages are phagocytic. What does this mean?

A

The cell envelops and eat things (Bacteria, debris, damaged tissue, etc.)

35
Q

In terms of movement, macrophages can be both ___ or ___

A

Fixed or wandering

36
Q

Macrophages fixed within the lungs are called ___

A

Dust cells

37
Q

Macrophages fixed within the liver are called ___

A

Kupffer cells

38
Q

Macrophages fixed within the skin are called ___

A

Langerhan’s cells

39
Q

Where do wandering macrophages wander to?

A

Sites of infection, inflammation or injury

40
Q

Plasma cells are produced by ___

A

B-lymphocytes

41
Q

What do plasma cells produce?

A

Antibodies

42
Q

Where can plasma cells be found?

A

Many connective tissue sites, but especially in the gut, lungs, salivary glands, lymph nodes, spleen and red bone marrow

43
Q

What do mast cells produce?

A

Histamine

44
Q

What does histamine do?

A

Dilates blood vessels

45
Q

Where are mast cells found?

A

Alongside blood vessels

46
Q

What are leucocytes?

A

White blood cells (eg. neutrophils, eosinophils)

47
Q

Where do leucocytes move from and to?

A

From blood vessels, through capillary walls into areas of inflammation, infection or injury

48
Q

What are three types of protein fibres found in connective tissue?

A

Collagen, reticular and elastic fibres

49
Q

Is collagen weak or strong?

A

Strong

50
Q

Is collagen flexible or rigid?

A

Flexible to resist pulling forces

51
Q

Where is collagen found?

A

Bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments

52
Q

What makes collagen?

A

Fibroblasts

53
Q

What shape do collagen fibres take?

A

Parallel bundles

54
Q

Reticular fibres are ___ fibres coated with ___

A

Collagen fibres coated with glycoproteins

55
Q

What shape do reticular fibres take?

A

Thin and fine branching bundles

56
Q

Where can reticular fibres be found?

A

In networks in vessels and through tissues such as adipose tissue, nerve fibres and smooth muscle tissues

57
Q

Reticular fibres form a part of the ___ membrane

A

Basement membrane

58
Q

Are elastic fibres are thicker or thinner than collagen?

A

Thinner

59
Q

What shape do elastic fibres take?

A

A fibrous network

60
Q

What are elastic fibres made of?

A

Elastin surrounded by fibrillin

61
Q

Where are elastic fibres found?

A

Skin, blood vessels and lungs (anything that needs to stretch and morph)