connective tissue lecture

Question 1

what are the major functions of connective tissue?

Answer 1

connects structures
protection and support
act as a filler material
transports gases
stores energy

Question 2

is connective tissue richly or poorly vascularized or is it more complicated?

Answer 2

richly vascularized

Question 3

EPI tissue is characterized by tightly packed cells. what’s the key characteristic of connective
tissue?

Answer 3

cells are distant

Question 4

what’s the difference between a -blast and a -cyte?

Answer 4

cyte is mature cell, blast is not

Question 5

what are the two main structural components of connective tissue?

Question 6

describe ground substance. what is its function in general?

Answer 6

material that fills the spaces between cells and holds the fibers

Question 7

what 3 fiber types make up the extracellular matrix? how do they differ from each other?
what specific protein makes up each type of fiber?

Answer 7

collagen fiber- great tensile strength, but flexible
reticular fiber- thinner fibers, often from ornate, sponge like shapes
elastic fibers- thinnest, highly elastic, enables lungs to stretch

Question 8

what is mesenchyme? why does some persist in the adult

Answer 8

mesenchyme is embryonic connective tissue. sticks around in mature tissue to regenerate damaged tissue

Question 9

how well vascularized is loose connective tissue versus dense conn. tissue?

Answer 9

loose ct tissue is well vascularized, fibers packed loosely
dense ct tissue is poorly vascularized, fibers packed tightly

Question 10

what are the functions of areolar connective tissue? where is it located in the body?

Answer 10

soft packing material
reservoir of water and cells
plays vital role in inflammation
located underneath EPI tissues major part of hypodermis

Question 11

what four types of cells occur in areolar conn. tissue? what are their functions?

Answer 11

fat cells
macrophages
mast cells

Question 12

adipose tissue is unlike other conn. tissues in what way?

Answer 12

it has little matrix

Question 13

how are adipocytes similar to mature nerve and muscle cells?

Answer 13

cannot divide

Question 14

when we gain/lose weight, what happens to adipocytes?

Question 15

what are the major functions of adipose tissue?

Answer 15

long term energy storage
cushions joints and internal organs
insulation
heat generation

Question 16

where is reticular conn. tissue found? What is its function?

Answer 16

found in spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver
forms a soft ornate internal skeleton that supports the working cells of the organ

Question 17

what cell type is most common in both types of dense conn. tissue? What fiber type?

Answer 17

fibroblasts
collagen fibers

Question 18

structurally and functionally, how do the two types of dense conn. tissue differ?

Question 19

where is each type of dense conn. tissue found?

Question 20

what are the general structural features of cartilage?

Question 21

what’s the meaning of lacunae? of perichondrium?

Question 22

what are the three types of cartilage?

Answer 22

hyaline
elastic

Question 23

what is the basic function of each type of cartilage? where is each type located?

Question 24

blood seems very different from the other conn. tissues. why is it nonetheless classified as
a conn. tissue?

Question 25

what are some functions of blood?