MA2 - Connective Tissue Flashcards
What are the four components of connective tissue?
fixed (resident) cells; wandering (immune) cells; fibers; ground substance (stuff between cells and fibers)
Describe the features of ordinary connective tissue. (3)
soft; pliable; has diverse collection of cells
Describe the features of bone. (3)
mineralized; stiff; has bone cells (i.e. osteocytes, osteoblasts, etc.)
Describe the features of cartilage. (4)
firm; NOT mineralized; type of type II collagen matrix; has cartilage cells
Describe the characteristic features of areolar connective tissue.
abundant ground substance; wandering (immune) cells; sparse mixture of elastic fibers (type I) and collagen fibers (type III)
What is the function of the abundant ground substance in areolar connective tissue? (2)
slows diffusion and hinders movement of invading microorganisms; provides lubrication
Give two example locations of areolar connective tissue.
underlies epithelia (i.e. lamina propria or papillary dermis); surrounds blood vessels
What are the characteristic features of reticular connective tissue?
reticular (branching) fibers (type III collagen)
What is the function of reticular fibers in reticular connective tissue?
fibers produce a network that provides support for parenchymal cells.
What are the three types of loose connective tissue (few fibers, many cells)?
areolar connective tissue; reticular connective tissue; adipose tissue
Give three example locations of reticular connective tissue.
bone marrow; lymph nodes; spleen
What are the two characteristic features of adipose tissue?
abundant adipocytes; abundant vasculature
What are the functions of adipocytes? (3)
store energy; generate heat; provide cushioning
What are the three types of adipose tissue?
brown adipose tissue; white adipose tissue; beige adipose tissue
What is the function of brown adipose tissue?
consumes energy to make heat
What is the function of white adipose tissue? (2)
stores energy; provides cushioning
What is the function of beige adipose tissue? (2)
derived from white adipose tissue; consumes energy to make heat
What are the two types of dense connective tissue (many fibers, few cells)?
dense regular connective tissue; dense irregular connective tissue
What is the primary difference between loose and dense connective tissue?
loose = few fibers, many cells; dense = many fibers, few cells
Describe the features of dense regular connective tissue.
mostly type I collagen fibers arranged in non-random directions
Describe the function of dense regular connective tissue.
provides strong connection in direction of fibers
Give two examples of dense regular connective tissue.
cornea; tendons + ligaments
Describe the features of dense irregular connective tissue.
rich in type I collagen fibers aligned in multiple directions
Describe the function of dense irregular connective tissue. (2)
serves to protect other tissue; provides strong internal support
Give two examples of where you can find dense irregular connective tissue.
organ capsules; dermis
What are the three subtypes of dense irregular connective tissue?
fibrous connective; fibroelastic connective; fibromuscular connective
Describe the properties of fibrous connective tissue. (2)
stiff; fibers dominated by collagens
Describe the properties of fibroelastic connective tissue. (2)
elastic; type I collagen + elastic fibers
Describe the properties of fibromuscular connective tissue. (2)
contractile; collagen + smooth muscle fibers
What is the most common type of dense connective tissue?
dense irregular connective tissue
Describe the features of brown adipocytes. (2)
abundant mitochondria; many lipid droplets
Describe the metabolic rate of brown adipocytes.
very metabolically active because of high rate of fatty acid consumption in mitochondria
Brown adipocytes express what protein that allows them to generate heat?
express uncoupling protein (UCP1), which allows protons to leak across inner mitochondrial membrane, generating heat
Brown adipocytes are associated with what vascular structure?
associate with numerous blood capillaries to transfer heat
Brown adipocytes are most and least abundant in
most abundant in newborns, least abundant in adults
Describe the features of white adipocytes. (2)
few mitochondria; only one very large lipid droplet
Describe the metabolic rate of white adipocytes.
less metabolically active than brown adipocytes, probably because they’re primarily used for energy storage
White adipocytes produce
endocrine factors (adipokines) to regulate whole body energy metabolism
Under what conditions can white adipocytes become metabolically active?
in response to cold temperature → become converted into beige adipocytes
Describe the features of beige adipocytes.
though derived from white adipocytes, they have abundant mitochondria and produce uncoupling protein like brown adipocytes
How can brown adipocytes be recognized in section?
eosinophilic cytosol w/ many small lipid droplets
Macrophages are derived from
monocytes or embryonic precursors
What is the function of macrophages? (2)
function as innate immune system sentinels; phagocytose debris
When activated by an immune response, what do macrophages produce?
chemotactic factors that recruit granulocytes (i.e. neutrophils); pyrogens that increase body temperature
What are the components of the mononuclear phagocytic system? (3)
wandering monocytes; resident macrophages; dendritic cells
What are histiocytes?
resident macrophages in ordinary connective tissue
What are Kupffer cells?
resident macrophages in liver sinusoids
What are nurse cells?
macrophages in bone barrow