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Mesenchymal Tissues Flashcards

1
Q

What is a connective tissue?

A

A tissue derived from the mesoderm

It acts to support the epithelium

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2
Q

What are the 6 things that connective tissue provides?

A
  1. general structure/mechanical strength
  2. space filling
  3. physical support
  4. metabolic support
  5. protection (e.g. immune cells)
  6. blood vessels/lymphatics
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3
Q

What is the difference in appearance of epithelium and connective tissue?

A

epithelium has a homogenous appearance

connective tissue has a heterogenous appearance

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4
Q

How does connective tissue provide tensile strength?

What is an example?

A

It provides resistance to pulling, stretching and tearing

e.g. collagen fibres

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5
Q

How does connective tissue provide elasticity?

What is an example?

A

It returns to its original shape after physical distortion

e.g. elastin fibres

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6
Q

How does connective tissue provide volume?

What is responsible for this?

A

It provides volume/padding

The ground substance is responsible for this

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7
Q

How does adipose tissue provide volume?

A

It provides padding, structure and physical form

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8
Q

How are connective tissue cells separated?

A

They are widely separated by acellular material called the extra-cellular matrix (ECM)

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9
Q

What are the three groups of connective tissue?

A
  1. embryonic
  2. adult
  3. special
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10
Q

What is the main component of the extracellular matrix?

What is it made from?

A

A jelly-like substance called the ground substance

It is made from glycoaminoglycans, proteins and glycoproteins

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11
Q

What types of fibres run through the ECM?

What is their function?

A

Elastin fibres provide elasticity

Collagen fibres provide tensile strength

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12
Q

Why does tissue fluid that leaks from capillaries move towards the ground substance?

A

The ground substance is hydrophilic so the tissue fluid is attracted to it

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13
Q

What is meant by the ECM being acellular?

A

It contains no cells

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14
Q

What type of cells make the ECM?

A

Fibroblasts make the ECM and all of the proteins within it (e.g. collagen, elastin)

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15
Q

What are the two types of support cells found within connective tissue?

A
  1. inflammatory cells

2. fibroblasts/myofibroblasts

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16
Q

Why are the inflammatory cells described as support cells?

A

they are not active under normal circumstances

they only become active once injury has occurred

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17
Q

What do fibroblast look like?

What does their nucleus and cytoplasm look like?

A

Spindle-shaped

Elliptical nucleus

Long and thin cytoplasm

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18
Q

What is the function of fibroblasts?

A

They are multi-functional

They secrete and synthesise all of the ECM, including the collagen and elastin fibres

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19
Q

What do myofibroblasts look like?

What does their nucleus and cytoplasm look like?

A

They are stellate (star-shaped)

They have a rounded nucleus with prominent nucleoli

They have basophilic (purple) cytoplasm

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20
Q

What is the function of myofibroblasts?

A
  1. involved in synthesis and secretion of the ECM

2. contractile function that is involved in wound healing

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21
Q

What is the role of macrophages within the ECM?

A

They can break down and rebuild the ECM

They also secrete chemicals involved in inflammation

Involved in immunity, healing and repair

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22
Q

What do macrophages look like?

A

They have abundant granular cytoplasm

They have a ‘kidney-bean’ shaped nucleus

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23
Q

What is meant by macrophages, mast cells and plasma cells being intrinsic?

A

They are fixed and sit within the tissue waiting to become active

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24
Q

What is the role of mast cells in the ECM?

A
  1. assist in neutrophil recruitment

2. involved in innate immune response

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25
What receptors are found on the surface of mast cells?
High affinity IgE receptors
26
What do mast cells look like? What is significant about their structure?
Look like a pink fried egg There is lots of cross-linking leading to degranulation
27
What is the role of the plasma cells within the ECM?
They synthesise and secrete immunoglobulins
28
What do plasma cells look like?
They have a granular 'clock-face' nucleus They have purple cytoplasm
29
What is 'the Hoff' in a plasma cell?
A perinuclear pale area that is part of the Golgi apparatus It is abundant as the role of the plasma cell is to synthesise and release antibodies
30
When do extrinsic inflammatory cells move into the connective tissue?
They sit in the bloodstream and move into the connective tissue in response to infection
31
What is the main type of fibre in connective tissue? What is its key property?
Collagen fibres They have very high tensile strength
32
What happens to collagen fibres after they are secreted?
They are secreted by fibroblasts as monomers and then polymerise
33
Where are the 4 types of collagen mainly found?
Type I - skin, tendons, ligaments Type II - cartilage Type III - forms reticular network of organs and lymph nodes Type IV - involved in basement membranes
34
How are elastic fibres formed after secretion from fibroblasts?
They are secreted by fibroblasts as tropoelastin Tropoelastin interacts with fibrillin and fibulin-1 to form elastic fibres through aggregation in the extracellular space
35
What is the purpose of elastic fibres in the ECM? Where are they abundant?
They give elastic recoil properties They are abundant in the blood vessels, lungs and bladder
36
What is Marfan syndrome caused by?
A defect in fibulin-1 meaning elastic fibres cannot be made properly
37
What do sufferers of Marfan syndrome look like? What are they prone to?
Tall individuals with long arms and fingers They are prone to vascular problems
38
What are the two main components that make up the ground substance?
1. Glycoproteins 2. Complex carbohydrates called GAGs Water is attracted to both of these
39
What results from the ground substance being hydrophilic?
It readily binds to and interacts with water It attracts extracellular fluid that leaks out of capillaries
40
What are the 4 functions of the ground substance?
1. provides tissue volume and compression resistance 2. forms a physical barrier 3. controls passage of molecules and cells through tissues 4. controls exchange of metabolites between tissues and the circulatory system
41
What are GAGs?
Glycoaminoglycans Long, unbranched polysaccharide chains that contain amino groups
42
What is the structure of a GAG?
They have repeating units of 2 sugar derivatives e.g. uronic acid and amino sugar N-acetyl-glucosamine
43
What is the predominant GAG in the ground substance? What type of molecules does it form?
Hyaluronic acid It forms large unbranching linear molecules that contribute to the hydrophilic properties of the ground substance
44
What are proteoglycans?
GAGs, other than hyaluronic acid, that form carbohydrate chains which are linked to protein molecules
45
What will proteoglycans bind to within the ground substance? What is the purpose of this?
They bind to hyaluronic acid to form large hydrophilic molecules They attract tissue fluid, which gives resistance to compression
46
What other molecules will proteoglycans bind to?
1. they act as enzyme inhibitors and are involved in enzyme remodelling 2. growth factors 3. cytokines 4. cell surface receptors
47
What is the importance of proteoglycans?
They are important in the interaction between the ECM and other cell types
48
What makes up the ground substance?
GAGs, proteoglycans and tissue fluid
49
What are the cells of all connective tissues derived from?
Precursor cells in the embryonic mesenchyme
50
What is the embryonic connective tissue in the umbilical cord? What is significant about it?
"Wharton's jelly" It is the source of mesenchymal stem cells
51
What are the 2 types of adult connective tissue?
1. loose 2. dense can be dense irregular or dense regular
52
Where is loose connective tissue found?
1. in the mucosa and submucosa of organs | 2. around blood vessels, nerves and muscles
53
What is the composition of loose connective tissue like?
There are a lot more cells than there are collagen or elastic fibres
54
What is the composition of dense regular connective tissue? Where is it found?
It has more collagen fibres than cells It is found in tendons, ligaments and the cornea
55
What is the arrangement of collagen like in dense regular CT? What is the result of this?
Regular arrangement of collagen It is densely compact to provide strength and resistance to mechanical strain
56
What is the composition of dense irregular connective tissue? Where is it found?
It contains more fibres than cells It is found in the dermis of the skin
57
What is the arrangement of collagen like in dense irregular CT? What is the result of this?
Irregular and random arrangement of collagen There is a degree of tensile strength, but not as much as dense regular
58
What is reticular connective tissue and what is required in order to see it?
It is a specific form of irregular loose CT It requires silver stains in order to be seen
59
Where is reticular CT found?
In the stroma of various organs including liver, spleen and lymph nodes
60
What type of connective tissue is elastic tissue? Where is it found and what is its purpose?
It is irregular and made from elastic fibres It provides elasticity and recoil It is found in the walls of tubular structures
61
What are the 4 types of specialised CT found in adults?
1. adipose tissue 2. cartilage 3. bone 4. bone marrow
62
What are the types of cells found in adipose tissue and what is their function?
Adipocytes They are involved in energy storage They also have an endocrine function and secrete hormones into the blood
63
What are adipocytes derived from?
Lipoblasts and are from a mesenchymal stem cell origin
64
What is white adipose tissue comprised of?
It is mostly empty space
65
What are the functions of white adipose tissue?
1. triglyceride storage 2. structural filling 3. thermal insulation 4. shock absorption
66
Where is brown adipose tissue found and what do the cells look like?
Found in newborn mammals and hibernating animals Cells are bubbly/foamy and contain lots of lipid
67
What is the function of brown adipose tissue?
1. heat generation | 2. temperature regulation
68
What are the specialised cells found in cartilage and what is their function?
Chondroblasts They secrete collagen, elastin and ECM They produce the ground substance
69
What happens when chondroblasts secrete the extracellular matrix?
They become trapped inside the matrix they produce They then form mature cartilage cells - chondrocytes
70
Where is hyaline cartilage found and what is its composition?
Found at the surface of joints and acts as a shock absorbed It contains lots of ground substance and few fibres
71
Where is fibrocartilage found? What is its composition?
Found in the intervertebral discs It contains lots of collagen fibres and is similar to dense connective tissue
72
Where is elastic cartilage and what is its composition?
It contains lots of elastic fibres to make it firm and flexible It is found in the larynx and external ear
73
What is the secretory component of bone and what does it produce?
Osteoblasts They produce fibres and the ECM They produce osteoid
74
What is osteoid?
The unmineralised organic component of bone
75
What happens to the ECM produced by osteoblasts?
It becomes mineralised by calcium hydroxyapatite It then becomes hard
76
What happens to the osteoblast once it is trapped inside the ECM?
It forms an inactive osteocyte
77
What us an osteoclast?
A multinucleated cell that breaks down and remodels bone
78
What is the composition of woven bone? What is its fate?
It has an irregular appearance and comprises random collagen fibres in the osteoid It is remodelled to lamellar bone
79
How is woven bone produced? Why is it formed?
It is produced rapidly by osteoblasts The ECM is randomly arranged It is made quickly and haphazardly during fractures and foetal development
80
What is the composition of lamellar bone?
It has parallel bands/sheets of collagen It is compact and cancellous and forms long thin strands of bone
81
What is lamellar bone?
It is normal healthy adult bone
82
Where is bone marrow found and what does it contain?
Found in the trabecular bone cortical space Contains haematopoietic stem cells

Cells & Tissues (4 decks)

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