Connective Tissues Flashcards
Characteristics of Connective Tissue
- Specialized cells
- Solid extracellular protein fibers
- Fluid extracellular ground substance
Make up the matrix
• The Extracellular Components of Connective
Tissue (Fibers and Ground Substance)
- Majority of tissue volume
* Determines specialized function
Matrix
• Functions of Connective Tissue
• Establishing a structural framework for the body
• Transporting fluids and dissolved materials
• Protecting delicate organs
• Supporting, surrounding, and interconnecting
other types of tissue
• Storing energy reserves, especially in the form of
triglycerides
• Defending the body from invading microorganisms
• Classification of Connective Tissues
1. Connective tissue proper • Connect and protect 2. Fluid connective tissues • Transport 3. Supporting connective tissues • Structural strength
• Connect and protect (connective tissue)
- Connective tissue proper
• Transport (connective tissue)
- Fluid connective tissues
• Structural strength (connective tissue)
- Supporting connective tissues
- More ground substance, fewer fibers
* For example, fat (adipose tissue)
• Loose connective tissue
Example of • Loose connective tissue
fat/adipose tissue
- More fibers, less ground substance
* For example, tendons
• Dense connective tissue
• Dense connective tissue example
tendons
Categories of Connective Tissue Proper
- Loose
2. Connective
Connective Tissue Proper Cell Populations include 9 things. What are these 9 populations called?
Fibroblasts • Fibrocytes • Adipocytes • Mesenchymal cells • Macrophages • Mast cells • Lymphocytes • Microphages • Melanocytes
- The most abundant cell type
- Found in all connective tissue proper
- Secrete proteins and hyaluronan (cellular cement)
• Fibroblasts
- The second most abundant cell type
- Found in all connective tissue proper
- Maintain the fibers of connective tissue proper
• Fibrocytes
- Fat cells
* Each cell stores a single, large fat droplet
Adipocytes
- Stem cells that respond to injury or infection
* Differentiate into fibroblasts, macrophages, etc.
• Mesenchymal Cells
- Large, amoeba-like cells of the immune system
- Eat pathogens and damaged cells
- Fixed macrophages stay in tissue
- Free macrophages migrate
Macrophages
Stay in the tissue
Fixed macrophages
migrate/leave the tissue tissue
• Free macrophages
• Stimulate inflammation after injury or infection
• Release histamine and heparin
• Basophils are leukocytes (white blood cells) that also
contain histamine and heparin
Mast cells
are leukocytes (white blood cells) that also contain histamine and heparin
Basophils
• Release histamine and heparin
Mast cells
• Specialized immune cells in lymphatic (lymphoid) system
• Lymphocytes
lymphocytes may develop into ______ _______ (_______) that produce antibodies
plasma cells (plasmocytes)
- Phagocytic blood cells
- Respond to signals from macrophages and mast cells
- For example, neutrophils and eosinophils
Microphages
Examples of microphages
neutrophils and eosinophils
• Synthesize and store the brown pigment melanin
Melanocytes
The 3 • Connective Tissue Fibers
- Collagen fibers
- Reticular fibers
- Elastic fibers
- Most common fibers in connective tissue proper
- Long, straight, and unbranched
- Strong and flexible
- Resist force in one direction
- For example, tendons and ligaments
Collagen Fibers
Long, straight, and unbranched
Collagen Fibers
• Strong and flexible
Collagen Fibers &
Reticular Fibers
• Resist force in one direction
Collagen Fibers
• For example, tendons and ligaments
Collagen Fibers
• Network of interwoven fibers (stroma) • Strong and flexible • Resist force in many directions • Stabilize functional cells (parenchyma) and structures • For example, sheaths around organs
Reticular Fibers
• Network of interwoven fibers
stroma
functional cells are also known as
parenchyma
• For example, sheaths around organs
Reticular Fibers
• Resist force in many directions
Reticular Fibers
- Contain elastin
- Branched and wavy
- Return to original length after stretching
- For example, elastic ligaments of vertebrae
• Elastic Fibers
• Branched and wavy
Elastic Fibers
• Return to original length after stretching
Elastic Fibers
• For example, elastic ligaments of vertebrae
Elastic Fibers
-Is clear, colorless, and viscous
• Fills spaces between cells and slows pathogen
movement
• Ground Substance
• Fills spaces between cells and slows pathogen
movement
• Ground Substance
• Are not found in adults • Mesenchyme (embryonic stem cells) ---The first connective tissue in embryos • Mucous connective tissue ---Loose embryonic connective tissue
• Embryonic Connective Tissues
The first connective tissue in embryos
Mesenchyme (embryonic stem cells)
Loose embryonic connective tissue
Mucous connective tissue
• Are not found in adults
• Embryonic Connective Tissues
• Loose Connective Tissues are the “packing materials” of the body. What are the three types in adults
- Areolar
- Adipose
- Reticular
- Least specialized
- Open framework
- Viscous ground substance
- Elastic fibers
- Holds blood vessels and capillary beds
- For example, under skin (subcutaneous layer)
• Areolar Tissue
• For example, under skin (subcutaneous layer)
• Areolar Tissue
• Least specialized
• Areolar Tissue
• Open framework
• Areolar Tissue
• Holds blood vessels and capillary beds
• Areolar Tissue
• Viscous ground substance
• Areolar Tissue
Locations of • Areolar Tissue
LOCATIONS: Within and deep to the dermis of skin, and covered by the epithelial lining of the digestive, respiratory, and urinary tracts; between muscles; around joints, blood vessels, and nerves
Functions of Areolar Tissue
FUNCTIONS: Cushions organs; provides support but permits independent movement; phagocytic cells provide defense against pathogens
• Contains many adipocytes (fat cells)
• Adipose Tissue
• Two types of adipose tissue
- White fat
2. Brown fat
- Most common
- Stores fat
- Absorbs shocks
- Slows heat loss (insulation)
• White fat
• More vascularized
• Adipocytes have many mitochondria
• When stimulated by nervous system, fat breakdown
accelerates, releasing energy that will be absorbed
by surrounding tissues
• Brown fat
• Adipocytes in adults do not divide. Instead they:
- Adipocytes in adults• Expand to store fat
* Shrink as fats are released do not divide
• Mesenchymal cells divide and differentiate. Why?
To produce more fat cells
• When more storage is needed
Adipose cells are either:
Adipocytes or Mesenchymal cells
Locations of Adipose Tissue
LOCATIONS: Deep to the skin,
especially at sides, buttocks,
and breasts; padding around
eyes and kidneys
Functions of adipose tissue
FUNCTIONS: Provides padding and cushions shocks; insulates (reduces heat loss); stores energy
• Provides support • Complex, three-dimensional network • Supportive fibers (stroma) ---Support functional cells (parenchyma) • Reticular organs ----Spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and bone marrow
• Reticular Tissue
support functional cells (in reticular tissue)
parenchyma
Supportive fibers(in reticular tissue)
Stroma
Examples are —-Spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and bone marrow
Reticular tissue
Locations of reticular tissue
LOCATIONS: Liver, kidney, spleen,
lymph nodes, and bone marrow
Functions of reticular tissue
FUNCTIONS: Provides supporting
framework
proper, tightly packed with high
numbers of collagen or elastic fibers are what kind of tissues?
• Dense Connective Tissues
Kinds of dense connective tissues
- Dense regular connective tissue
- Dense irregular connective tissue
- Elastic tissue
• Tightly packed, parallel collagen fibers
• Dense Regular Connective Tissue
attach muscles to bones
Tendons
connect bone to bone and stabilize
organs
Ligaments
attach in sheets to large, flat
muscles
• Aponeuroses
Locations of Dense Regular Connective Tissue
LOCATIONS: Between skeletal muscles and skeleton (tendons and aponeuroses); between bones or stabilizing positions of internal organs (ligaments); covering skeletal muscles; deep fasciae
Functions of Dense Regular Connective Tissue
FUNCTIONS: Provides firm attachment; conducts pull of muscles; reduces friction between muscles; stabilizes positions of bones
• Interwoven networks of collagen fibers • Layered in skin • Around cartilages (perichondrium) • Around bones (periosteum) • Form capsules around some organs (e.g., liver, kidneys)
• Dense Irregular Connective Tissue
• Dense Irregular Connective Tissue Around cartilages
perichondrium
• Dense Irregular Connective Tissue Around bones
periosteum
• Dense Irregular Connective Tissue Form _______ around some organs (eg. _______, _________)
capsules
liver, kidneys
Locations of Dense Irregular Connective Tissue
LOCATIONS: Capsules of
visceral organs; periostea
and perichondria; nerve
and muscle sheaths; dermis
Functions of Dense Irregular Connective Tissue
FUNCTIONS: Provides strength to resist forces from many directions; helps prevent overexpansion of organs, such as the urinary bladder
• Made of elastic fibers
• Elastic Tissue
• For example, elastic ligaments of spinal vertebrae
• Elastic Tissue
Locations of Elastic Tissues
LOCATIONS: Between vertebrae of the spinal column (ligamentum flavum and ligamentum nuchae); ligaments supporting penis; ligaments supporting transitional epithelia; in blood vessel walls
Functions of Elastic Tissues
FUNCTIONS: Stabilizes positions of vertebrae and penis; cushions shocks; permits expansion and contraction of organs
• Blood and lymph are what kinds of tissues?
• Fluid Connective Tissues
- Watery matrix of dissolved proteins
- Carry specific cell types (formed elements)
- Formed elements of blood
- Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
- White blood cells (leukocytes)
- Platelets
- Formed elements of blood
Blood and lymph
Red blood cells are also known as
erythrocytes
White blood cells are also known as
leukocytes
Elements of blood
Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
White blood cells (leukocytes)
Platelets
• Fluid Elements of Connective Tissues extracellular are:
- Plasma
- Interstitial fluid
- Lymph
are responsible for the transport of oxygen (and, to a lesser degree, of carbon dioxide) in the blood.
Red blood cells, or
erythrocytes
account for about
half the volume of
whole blood and
give blood its color.
red blood cells
help defend the
body from infection and disease.
White blood cells or leukocytes
are phagocytes similar to the free macrophages in other tissues.
Monocytes
are uncommon in the blood but they are the dominant cell type in lymph, the second type of fluid connective tissue.
Lymphocytes
are phagocytes.
Eosinophils and neutrophils
promote inflammation
much like mast cells
in other connective tissues.
Basophils
are membrane-enclosed packets of cytoplasm that function in blood clotting.
Platelets
These cell fragments are involved in the clotting response that seals leaks in damaged or broken blood vessels.
Platelets
• Lymph’s Extracellular fluid
- Collected from interstitial space
- Monitored by immune system
- Transported by lymphatic (lymphoid) system
- Returned to venous system
Fluid Tissue Transport Systems include
–Cardiovascular system (blood) and
• Lymphatic (lymphoid) system (lymph)
• Cardiovascular system (blood) includes
- Arteries
- Capillaries
- Veins
• Lymphatic (lymphoid) system (lymph) includes
Lymphatic vessels