Connective Tissue

Hyaline (Cartilage)

Amorphous but firm matrix. Composed of condrocytes lies in lacuna, matrix.

Blood location:

Blood vessels

Compact bone (ground bone) location:

Bones

Elastic (Cartilage) Function:

Function: maintains shape of a structure while allowing great flexibility

Dense Irregular (Dense CT)

Irregular arranged collagen fibers, some elastic fibers, major cell type is the fibroblast. Composed of nuclei of fibroblasts, collagen fibers.

Dense Irregular (Dense CT) location

Located in dermis of skin, submucosa of digestive tract.

Hyaline (Cartilage) location

Located in embryonic skeleton, forms costal cartilage of the ribs, cartilage of nose, trachea, and larynx

Dense Regular (Dense CT) location

Located in tendons, most ligaments

Areolar (Loose CT) Location

Located under epithelia of body

Adipose (Loose CT) location

Located under skin, around kidneys and eyeballs, within abdomen, and in breasts

Elastic (Cartilage) Location:

Location: supports external ear (auricle), epiglottis.

Blood

Red and White blood cells in a fluid plasma. Composed plasma,neutrophil, red blood cell, lymphocyte.

Elastic (Cartilage)

Similar to dense regular CT, but with elastic fibers, well vascularized. Composed of central canal, lacunae, lamella.

Compact bone (ground bone) Function:

Store calcium, other minerals and fat, bone support , marrow inside bones is the site for blood cell formation.

Blood Functions:

Transport respiratory gases, nutrients, wastes and other substances.

Dense Regular (Dense CT) function

attaches muscles to bones or to muscles, attaches bones to bones.

Compact bone (ground bone)

calcified matrix, contain collagen fibers, osteocytes lie in lacumae,

Adipose (Loose CT)

close packed adipocytes, or fat cells, have the nucleus pushed to the side by a large fat droplet. Composed of vacuole containing fat droplet, nuclei of fat cell.

Areolar (Loose CT)

gel-like matrix with all three fiber types cells fibroblast, macrophages, mast cells and some white blood cells. Composed of collagen fibers, fibroblast nuclei, elastic fibers.

Dense Regular (Dense CT)

primarily parallel collagen fibers, a few elastic fibers, major cell type is the fibroblast. Composed of collagen fibers, nuclei of fibroblast.

Adipose (Loose CT) function

provides reserve fuel, insulates against heat loss, supports and protects organ

Dense Irregular (Dense CT) Function:

provides structural strength

Hyaline (Cartilage) Function:

supports and reinforces, has resilient cushioning properties; resists compressive stress

Areolar (Loose CT) Function:

wraps and cushions organs, plays important role in inflammation, holds and convert tissue fluid