Connective tissue proper

1. CONNECTIVE TISSUE
PROPER

2. Connective Tissue
1) connective tissue proper
2) cartilage and bone
3) blood
Connective Tissue Proper
composition:
1) cells - fixed
- wandering
2) extracellular components
- fibers
- amorphous ground substance (contains
tissue fluid)

3. Cells:
1. fixed
a) Fibroblasts
- principal cell of the connective tissue
- responsible for the production and long
term maintenance of the extracellular
components
- fusiform or flat or stellate with several
slender processes
b) mesenchymal cells
- cells w/c retain the developmental
potentialities in an adult organism
- smaller than fibroblasts and less highly
differentiated

4. c) Adipose or fat cells
- cells specialized for the synthesis and
storage of lipid
- cells have thinned- out cytoplasm,
nucleus is flattened and displaced to one
side
d) Macrophages or histiocytes
- stellate or fusiform cells w/ nuclei that
are smaller and darkly staining than those
of fibroblasts
- difficult to differentiate from fibroblasts
- for phagocytosis

5. 2. Wandering cell
- migratory cells that come from the blood
a. monocytes
b. Lymphocytes
c. eosinophils
d. neutrophils
e. plasma cells
f. mast cells

6. EXTRACELLULAR COMPONENTS
1. FIBERS – responsible for the tensil strength
and resilience
a. collagenous fibers
- present in all types of connective tissue
- fibers run in all directions
- main component is collagen
- flexible but offer great resistance to a
pulling force
- if collagen is denatured by boiling or
chemical treatment, it yields the
substance gelatin

7. b. elastic fibers
- fibers branch and anastomose to form
networks
- stretch easily and when released they
return to their original length just like a
rubber band
- main component is elastin which is
resistant to boiling and dilute acid/alkali
- abundant in the walls of blood vessels,
ligamentum fllavum of the vertebral column

8. c. reticular fibers
- very small fibers forming delicate networks
rather than coarse bundles
- main component is reticulin
- abundant in
>lymphoid and blood forming organs
>liver
>areas surrounding adipose cells,
endothelium, sarcolemma,
endoneurium of nerves

9. 2. AMORPHOUS GROUND SUBSTANCE
- viscid solution or gel-like solution containing
mucopolysaccharides like hyaluronic acid and
chondroitin sulfate
Functions:
a. formed elements are embedded in the ground
substance
b. prevents the rapid spread of bacteria in the
connective tissue
c. acts as a lubricant
d. contains tissue fluid which is the essential
medium through which all nutrients and wastes
must pass between the blood and cells

10. TYPES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE PROPER
1. LOOSE CONN. TISSUE
2. DENSE CONN. TISSUE
a. irregular
b. regular
3. CONN. TISSUE WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES

11. LOOSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE
- develops from the mesenchyme that remains
after the other tissues of the embryo have
been formed
- contains several potential spaces ( like a
collapsed sponge )
- also called areolar tissue ( small space or area )

12. DENSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE
- has a greater number of fibers over the
cellular and amorphous components
a. Dense irregular connective tissue
- fiber bundles are randomly oriented
Found in:
- dermis of the skin, organ capsules,
tendon and nerve sheath, beneath the
urinary tract epithelium

13. b. Dense regular connective tissue
- fibers are oriented parallel to one
another or has a consistent pattern
Found in:
1. tendons
2. fascia
3. ligaments
4. cornea

14. CONNECTIVE TISSUE WITH SPECIAL
PROPERTIES
1. MUCOUS ( EMBRYONIC ) CONN. TISSUE
- a form of loose conn. tissue found in many
parts of the embryo esp. under the skin
- a classic example is Wharton’s Jelly of
the umbilical cord
- intercellular substance is very abundant
and jelly-like

15. 2. ELASTIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE
- dense connective tissue with predominance
of elastic fibers
Found in:
1. ligamentum flavum
2. vocal cords
3. large elastic arteries

16. 3. RETICULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE
- predominance of reticular fibers
Found in:
1. liver sinusoids
2. lymphatic tissues
4. ADIPOSE TISSUE
- made up of adipose cells

17. FUNCTIONS OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
PROPER
1. mechanical support of tissues
2. exchange of metabolites between the
blood and tissues
3. storage of energy reserves
4. protection against infection
5. repair after injury