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1. Warm-Up
What type of connective tissue is shown below?
1. 2.
3. 4.
Cartilage
Blood
Adipose Tissue
(Loose Connective
Tissue)
Bone

2. Chapter 4

3. Part II: Connective Tissue

4. Connective Tissue
 Most abundant and widely distributed tissue
 Main classes:
1. Connective tissue proper (loose & dense)
2. Cartilage
3. Bone
4. Blood
 Functions:
1. Binding and support
2. Protection
3. Insulation
4. Transport substances

5. Classification
 Variations in blood supply
 Avascular (no blood) – cartilage
 Poorly vascular – tendons, ligaments
 Extracellular matrix
 Produced by cells, secreted to exterior
 Ground substance: “glue” - fills space between cells &
fibers
 water + adhesion proteins + polysaccharides
 Fibers: provide support
 Collagen - strength
 Elastic – stretch
 Reticular – fine network, “skeleton” of organs

6. Loose Connective Tissue
 Universal packing material
 Subclasses: areolar, adipose, reticular
 Structure: softer, fewer fibers, gel-like matrix
 Functions:
 Cushion & protect organs (areolar, fat)
 Store nutrients (fat)
 Internal framework (reticular)
 Fight infection (areolar)
 Cells: fibroblasts, adipocytes (fat cells)
 Locations: under skin, lymph nodes, hips,
behind eyeballs

10. Dense Connective Tissue
 Tendons & ligaments
 Subclasses: dense regular, dense irregular,
elastic
 Structure: mainly collagen fibers
 Functions:
 Elastic
 Resist tension
 Cells: fibroblasts
 Locations: tendons (muscle-bone), ligaments
(bone-bone), lower layers of skin

12. Cartilage
 Subclasses: hyaline, elastic, fibrocartilage
 Structure: flexible, no nerves or blood
 Functions:
 Support
 Compression
 Cells: chondroblasts, chondrocytes
 Locations: larynx, joints, tip of nose, ear,
intervertebral discs, rib-breastbone, knee
joint

14. Bone
 Osseous tissue
 Subclasses: compact, spongy
 Structure: hard, calcified matrix; blood
vessels
 Functions:
 support & protect
 Store calcium
 Blood cell formation (marrow)
 Cells: osteoblasts, osteocytes
 Locations: bones

16. Blood
 Vascular tissue
 Subclasses: blood cells, plasma
 Structure: fluid within blood vessels, no fibers
 Functions:
 Transport vehicle (nutrients, wastes, gases,
hormones)
 Cells: white blood cells (leukocytes), red
blood cells (erythrocytes), platelets
 Locations: blood vessels