Connective Tissue
Structural components of connective tissue
Cells, Protein fibers, ground substance
Cells in cartilage
Chondroblasts, chondrocytes, and fibroblasts
Protein fibers in connective tissue
Collagen fibers, elastin fibers, reticular fiber.
Characteristics of dense regular collagenous connective tissue
Collagen is aligned parallel to applied force, poor blood supply and slow to heal.
2 types of bone
Compact and spongy
Characteristics of elastic cartilage
Elastin fibers in extracellular matrix surrounded by perichondrium, ability to bend and snap back.
Location of fibrocartilage
Intervertebral discs, pubic symphysis, and menisci of the knee joint.
Characteristics of fibrocartilage
Lacks perichondrium, very durable, good shock absorber, contains dense collagen fibers in extracellular matrix.
Cartilage
Secretes gel-like extracellular matrix, may contain collagen or elastic, avascular, heals slowly.
Location of reticular connective tissue
Spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow.
Elastin fibers
Thin, stretchy fibers.
Classification of connective tissue
3 broad categories
Components of adipose connective tissue
Adipocytes, few fibroblasts, very few collagen
Location of dense elastic connective tissue
Vocal cords, large and medium arteries
Plasma
Watery ground substance containing proteins and other substances.
Fluid connective tissue
Blood
3 categories of connective tissue classification
Connective tissue proper, supporting connective tissue, and fluid connective tissue
Location of elastic cartilage
Epiglottis and external ear.
3 types of cartilage
Hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, elastic cartilage.
Spongy bone
Interior of a bone
Connective tissue proper
Loose connective tissue and dense connective tissue.
Dense connective tissue
More protein fibers and less ground substance .
Characteristics of dense elastic connective tissue
Strong with some stretch
Location of dense regular collagenous connective tissue
Tendons, ligaments.
Leukocytes
White blood cells
3 types of loose connective tissue
Areolar, adipose, and reticular
Function of platelets
Blood clotting,
Supporting connective tissue
Bone and cartilage
Osteocytes
Bone cells
Characteristics of bone
Bone salts provide extreme strength, collagen provides micro-flexibility, highly vascular, heals quickly.
Functions of areolar connective tissue
Can be distorted without damage, provides cushion, protection, loose attachment.
Function of erythrocytes
Carry oxygen and carbon dioxide
Chondrocytes
Cartilage cells, located in lacunae
Location of dense irregular collagenous connective tissue
Deep portion of skin (dermis), surrounding bone and cartilage.
Function of leukocytes
Defense and immunity
3 types of dense connective tissue
Dense regular collagenous connective tissue Dense irregular collagenous connective tissue, and dense elastic connective tissue.
Connective tissue
Diverse, abundant, widely distributed, often deep to epithelial tissue, connects structures to each other, considered glue and filler of body. More extracellular matrix with fewer cells. Derived from mesenchyme.
Components of blood
Erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, and plasma
Adipose connective tissue
Fat tissue
Location of hyaline cartilage .
Fetal skeleton, end of bones, trachea, larynx, and nose
Loose connective tissue
Fewer protein fibers and more ground substance, packing material, 3 main types.
Fibrocytes
Fiber cells
Reticular fibers
Fibers that form a mesh-work like frame.
Cells
Fibroblasts, chondroblasts, osteoblasts, fibrocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes
Components of dense regular collagenous connective tissue
Fibroblasts, collagen fibers arranged parallel to each other
Components of dense irregular collagenous connective tissue
Fibroblasts, collagen fibers running in many directions
Components of dense elastic connective tissue
Fibroblasts, collagen, and elastin
Components of areolar connective tissue
Fibroblasts, collagen, and elastin.
Components of reticular connective tissue
Fibroblasts, reticular fibers, and leukocytes
Function of hyaline cartilage
Forms fetal skeleton, covers ends of bones, support, reduces friction.
Compact bone
Forms hard outer shell of bones
Characteristics of dense irregular collagenous connective tissue
Has collagen fibers running many different directions.
Osteoblasts
Immature or embryonic bone cells
Chondroblasts
Immature or embryonic cartilage cells, secrete extracellular matrix
Fibroblasts
Immature or embryonic fiber cells
Location of areolar connective tissue
In skin, surrounding nerves and blood vessels.
Characteristics of hyaline Cartilage
Most common type of cartilage, weakest type, collagen found in extracellular matrix, surrounded by perichondrium.
Components of bone
Osteoblasts, osteocytes, collagen fibers, bone salts.
Function of reticular connective tissue
Packing material, support with lots of space.
Functions of connective tissue
Physical protection, support and structural framework, binding of structures, storage, transport, and immune protection.
Extracellular matrix
Protein fibers and ground substance combined, produced by cells.
Function of adipose tissue
Provides padding, insulation, and energy storage.
Erythrocytes
Red blood cells
Function of dense regular collagenous connective tissue
Resist stress applied in a single direction.
Function of dense irregular collagenous connective tissue
Resists stress in multiple directions, lends strength to skin, surrounds bone and cartilage.
Collagen fibers
Strong, flexible fibers resistant to stretch. 25% of all protein in the body. Most abundant protein.
