Terms/Definitions- Connective Tissue

Question 1

Areolar connective tissue

Answer 1

Function: wraps and cushions organs

Location: widely distributed under epithelia of body

Question 2

Dense irregular connective tissue

Answer 2

Function: able to withstand tension exerted in many directions; provides structural strength

Location: fibrous capsules of organs and joints; dermis of the skin; submucosa of digestive tract

Question 3

Mesenchymal tissue

Answer 3

Function: gives rise to all other connective tissue types

Location: primarily in embryo

Question 4

Elastic connective tissue

Answer 4

Function: allows recoil of tissue following stretching; maintains pulsatile flow of blood through arteries; aids passive recoil of lungs following inspiration

Location: walls of large arteries; within certain ligaments associated with vertebral column, within the walls of the bronchial tubes

Question 5

Reticular connective fibers

Answer 5

Function: fibers form a soft internal skeleton that supports other cell types, including white blood cells, mast cells, and macrophages

Location: lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen)

Question 6

Hyaline cartilage

Answer 6

Function: supports and reinforces; has resilient cushioning properties; resists compressive stress

Location: forms most of the embryonic skeleton; covers the ends of long bones in joint cavities; forms the costal cartilages of the ribs, cartilages of the nose, trachea, and larynx.

Question 7

Adipose tissue

Answer 7

Function: provides reserve fuel; insulates against heat loss; supports and protects organs

Location: under skin, around kidneys and eyeballs, within abdomen, in breasts.

Question 8

Extracellular matrix

Answer 8

consists of fibers and ground substance

Question 9

Collagen

Answer 9

most abundant protein of the body; thick, tough, resist stretch yet flexible; ex.- tendons, ligaments, dermis

Question 10

Ground substance

Answer 10

material found between cells; consist of 3 classes of large molecules; glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)- polysaccharides that attract sodium and water, proteoglycan-thick gel/slows spread of pathogens, cell adhesive glycoproteins- allow themselves to bind to matrix elements

Question 11

Fibroblasts

Answer 11

produce collagen, found in every tissue, allow production of fibrous tissue (which is used for healing); produces ground substance; reactive tissue

Question 12

Pericytes

Answer 12

protect blood vessels and control permeability

Question 13

Myofibroblasts

Answer 13

halfway between a muscle cell and fibroblast; most important in mammary cancer

Question 14

Melanocytes

Answer 14

brown to gray staining cells on H&E staining; pigmentation of skin

Question 15

Adipocytes

Answer 15

fat cells, nuclei difficult to see

Question 16

Fibrocartilage

Answer 16

supportive connective tissue with rubbery matrix; chondroblasts produce matrix, surround and become chondrocytes, no blood vessels

Question 17

Osteoblasts

Answer 17

lay down new bone

Question 18

Osteoclasts

Answer 18

break down bone

Question 19

Osteocytes

Answer 19

normal cells of the bones; once they are embedded; work to maintain the bone

Question 20

Cortical bone

Answer 20

outside layer of bone; hard; haversian canals present; found in body of long bones; has a large blood supply

Question 21

Cancellous

Answer 21

spongy material

Question 22

Intramembranous ossification

Answer 22

bone formation without needing cartilage (flat bones)

Question 23

Endochondral ossification

Answer 23

growth plates, series of steps of growth (long bones)

Question 24

Chondroblasts

Answer 24

associated with developing cartilage; chondroblasts inside of lacuna are called chondrocytes