lesson 5: Connective tissue proper Flashcards
What are the four types of connective tissue proper?
Loose, Dense, Elastic, Reticular
Each type is classified based on the amount of fibers and their arrangements.
What characterizes loose connective tissue?
Few, loosely arranged fibers; abundant ground substances; little resistance to mechanical stress
Provides support for microvasculature and nerves.
Where is loose connective tissue primarily located?
Hypodermis, lamina propria
Hypodermis is the innermost layer of skin; lamina propria supports respiratory and digestive epithelia.
What are the two types of dense connective tissue?
Regular, Irregular
Regular has fibers arranged in parallel; Irregular has randomly arranged fibers.
What is the primary function of dense connective tissue?
Withstands mechanical stress in the direction of the collagen fibers
It has little ground substance.
What characterizes elastic connective tissue?
Abundant elastic fibers made of elastin; scattered fibroblasts
Found in areas under great mechanical pressure.
Where is elastic connective tissue found?
Ligamentum flavum, walls of arteries, trachea, lungs, bronchi, vocal cords
These locations require elasticity for function.
What defines reticular connective tissue?
Numerous reticular fibers forming a meshwork
Contains collagen type III fibers.
Where is reticular connective tissue located?
Lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, liver
Supports the structure of these organs.
What is the function of tendons?
Connect muscle to bone; provide stability and limit excessive movement in joints
Composed of regular dense connective tissue.
What is the composition of tendons?
Regular dense connective tissue with collagen fibers arranged in parallel
High resistance to stretching.
What happens to the tendon ECM in cases of tendinopathy?
Loss of homeostasis leads to neovascularization and changes in ECM
Changes include disorganization of collagen and increased immune cells.
What is characteristic of ligaments?
Connect bone to bone; richer in cells than tendons
Fibroblasts in ligaments are ovoid or round.
What is found in pathological ligaments?
Structural disorganization and decreased diameter of collagen fibers
Indicates a loss of structural integrity.
