Supports, protects, and connects other tissues

& parts of the body 

-Has few cells

-A lot of intercellular substance (matrix)

Connective Tissue Proper

Cartilage

Bone

Blood

Adipose

Common Characteristics of Connective Tissue

Vascularity

Avascular

Poor

Abundant

Connective Tissue Vascularity

Avascualr

(location)

Connective Tissue Vascularity

Poor

(location)

Tendons

Ligaments

Connective Tissue Vascularity

Abundant

(location)

Connective Tissue: Extracellular Matrix

may be

-Liquid (fluid)

-Amorphous (shapeless)

-Structural

Connective Tissue: Extracellular Matrix

Liquid

(example)

Connective Tissue: Extracellular Matrix

Connective Tissue: Extracellular Matrix

Fibrous

Tissue

Bone

Ground Substance

Fibers

Cells

Ground Substance Composition

Proteoglycans

-Very hydrophilic

-Trap Water

-Form substances from fluid to gel

Allow diffusion between the blood capillaries 

& the cells

Connective Tissue

Cell Types

Fundamental

Accessory

Connective Tissue

Fundamental Cell Types

Immature (-blast)

Mature (-cyte)

Connective Tissue

Fundamental Cells

Immature

-Actively mitotic (abundant during malignancies)

-Secrete ground substances

Connective Tissue

Fundamental Cells

Mature

-Less mitotic

-Maintain homeostasis in matrix if matrix is damaged; transform into blasts; repair

Connective Tissue

Accessory Cells

Example

Fat Cells

-Collagen

-Elastic

-Reticular

-White

-Thick

-Extremely Tough

-Yellow 

-Thin

-Allows to stretch & recoil

-Skin

-Lungs

-Blood Vessel Walls

-Places where elasticity is needed

-Fine collagen fibers

-Support the soft tissue of organs to form 

stroma --"soft skeleton"

Types of Connective Tissue

from most rigid to softest

Bone

Cartilage

Dense Connective Tissue

Loose Connective Tissue

Blood

-Less hard & more flexible than bone

-Avascular

-Lack of nerves

-No effective regeneration

(michael jackson's nose)

-Hyaline

-Elastic

-Fibro

Hyaline Cartilage

Location

-Embryonic Skeleton

-Nose

-Cartilage of Respiratory Tract

-Costae

-Joint Surfaces

-More elastic fibers

-Maintains shape & flexability

Elastic Cartilage

Location

-External Ear 

-Epiglottis

-A lot of thick collagen fibers

Fibrocartilage

Location

-Intervertebral disks

-Pubic symphysis

-Disk of knee joint

Fibroblast & Fibrocyte

-Lot of collagen fibers

-Some elastin 

Dense Connective Tissue

Location

-Tendons

-Ligaments (regular)

-Skin (irregular)

-Fibers are parallel

-Only have one direction

Macrophages, mast cells, WBC

involved in phagocytosis during inflammation

Areolar Tissue

Location

-Surrounding organs & capillaries

-Under mucosa

-Adipocytes (fat cells)

Nucleus is pushed to the side by fat droplet

Adipose Tissue

Location

-Under skin

-In breast & abdomen

-Around some organs (kidney)

^{Adipose Tissue}

Purpose

Protection

Insulation

Fuel Reserve

-A lot of reticular fibers & reticular cells

-Immune system cells

-Blood cells

-Forms stroma of parenchymal organs 

Reticular Tissue

Location

Lymphoid organs

(spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes)

-Highly cellular

-Well-vascularized

-Responsible for movement

-Striated

-Long cylindrical multinucleate cells

-Voluntary control

-In skeletal muscles

-Striated

-Branching uninucleate cells with special junctions

-Involuntary control

-In heart

-Non striated

-Spindle-shaped cells with one nucleus

-Involuntary control

-In hollow organs & vessels

Types of Healing

Resolution

Types of Healing 

Regeneration

If damaged cells are capable of mitosis

the damaged tissue is replaced by identical tissue

Types of Healing

Repair by Scar of Fibrous Tissue

-After intensive damage

-Cells are incapable of mitosis

-During chronic inflammation

Tissue ability to regenerate

Ability to Regenerate

Epithelia

Ability to Regenerate

Skeletal Muscle

Ability to Regenerate

Cardiac  Muscle & Nervous Tissue