This document summarizes the four main types of tissues in the body - epithelium, connective, muscle, and nervous tissue. It focuses on describing the different types of connective tissue, including their cellular components, matrix components like fibers and ground substance, and where they are found in the body. The four main types of connective tissue discussed are connective tissue proper, blood, cartilage, and bone tissue. Key features and examples of each type are provided.

1. Connetive Tissues
Dr. Motaz Ahmed Abdelrahman NuggedAlla
B.Sc , M.Sc, PhD
University of Albutana
‫الرحيم‬‫الرحمن‬‫هللا‬‫بسم‬

2. 4 Types of Tissue
1) Epithelium
2) Connective
3) Muscle
4) Nervous

3. 1) Connective Tissue Proper
2) Blood
3) Cartilage
4) Bone Tissue
4 Types of Connective Tissue

4. Connective Tissue
 Binds together, supports and strengthens other
body tissues.
 Protects and insulates internal organs
 The major transport system within the body
 Site of stored energy reserves
 Main site of immune responses

5. General Features of Connective
Tissue
 2 basic parts:
 Cells and Matrix
 Matrix – material between widely spaced cells
 Consists of protein fibers and ground substance
 Ground substance – material between cells and fibers
secreted by the cells.

6. Connective Tissue Cells
 Fibroblasts – large flat cells with branching
processes. Migrate throughout connective tissue
secreting the fibers and ground substance
 Macrophages – develop from white blood cells.
Surround and engulf material by phagocytosis
 Mast Cells – alongside blood vessels that supply
connective tissue. Produce histamine – a
chemical that dilates blood vessels.
 Adipocytes – “fat cells” store triglycerides.

7. Connective Tissue Matrix – Fibers
 Strengthens and supports connective tissue
 Collagen Fibers
 Strong, resist pulling forces, flexible
 Made of the protein collagen which is the most abundant
protein body
 Elastic Fibers
 smaller in diameter than collagen fibers, branch to form
network
 Made of the protein elastin
 Reticular Fibers
 Provide support for the walls of blood vessels
 Made of collagen with a glycoprotein covering

8. TYPES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
1. True Connective Tissue (proper)
a. Loose Connective Tissue
b. Dense Connective Tissue
2. Supportive Connective Tissue
a. Cartilage
b. Bone
3. Liquid Connective Tissue
a. Blood

10. Loose Connective Tissue
 Fibers are loosely intertwined among many cells.
 3 types of loose connective tissue
 Areolar Connective Tissue – one of the most widely
distributed connective tissues in the body.
 Adipose Tissue – The cells, called adipocytes, are
specialized for storage of triglycerides.
 Reticular Connective Tissue – made of reticular
fibers and reticular cells that connect to each other
to form a network.

11. Dense Connective Tissue
 Contains more numerous, thicker and denser
fibers but fewer cells than loose connective
tissue.
 3 types:
 Dense regular connective tissue
 Dense Irregular connective tissue
 Elastic Connective Tissue

12. Dense Regular Connective Tissue
 Bundles of collagen fibers are arranged regularly
in parallel patterns that give it strength.
 Withstands pulling from the ends, but unravels
when pulled from the side
 Silvery white in appearance. Tough and pliable
 Found in tendons and ligaments

14. Dense Irregular Connective
Tissue
 Collagen fibers are packed closely together in an
irregular, random pattern
 Found in parts of the body where pulling forces
are exerted in various directions
 Usually found in sheets
 Examples: Dermis of the skin & heart valves.

16. Elastic Connective Tissue
 Contains branching elastic fibers and fibroblasts
 Yellowish in color
 Strong, can regain shape after stretching
 Found in lungs and arteries

18. Clinical Correlations

19. Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome
 Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome is a disorder that is
characterized by exceptionally loose joints,
damaged blood vessels and hyper-elasticity of
the skin.
 Various genetic alterations cause problems to
the collagen. Collagen is the material which gives
the bone, skin, internal organs and blood vessels
their strength and structure.

21. Liquid Connective Tissue
Blood Tissue
 Connective Tissue with a liquid matrix?
 Red Blood Cells (erythrocytes) – transport
oxygen
 White Blood Cells – function in immunity
 Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils Lymphocyte ,
and Monocytes
 Platelets – participate in blood clotting

24. Supportive Connective Tissue

25. Cartilage
 Dense network of collagen fibers and elastic
fibers embedded in chondroitin sulfate (a
rubbery component of the ground substance)
 Can withstand more stress than the dense and
loose connective tissue.
 Collagen fibers make the tissue strong,
chondroitin sulfate makes it resilient

26. Cartilage - continued
 Chondrocytes – mature cartilage cells
 Lacunae – holes in the matrix in which the cells
sit
 Perichondrium – dense irregular connective
tissue that surrounds cartilage
 3 types – hyaline, fibrocartilage and elastic
 Cartilage is AVASCULAR and NO nerve supply
(but the perichondrium does)

27. Hyaline Cartilage
 Gel like ground substance, collagen fibers (not
visible with normal stains) and prominent
chondrocytes
 Most abundant cartilage in the body
 Found at the end of long bones to cushion
joints and at epiphyseal plates (growth plates in
bones)
 Weakest of the 3 types of cartilage

29. Fibrocartilage
 Chondrocytes scattered among visible bundles
of collagen fibers
 No perichondrium
 Strongest of the 3 types of cartilage
 Found in the intervertebral discs

31. Elastic Cartilage
 Chondrocytes located in a threadlike network of
elastic fibers
 Provides strength, elasticity and maintains the
shape of certain structures (like the external ear)

33. Bone Tissue (osseous tissue)
2 types
 Compact bone.
 Spongy bone.

35.  Compact
 Osteon – basic unit of compact bone
 Lamellae – concentric circles of matrix
 Lacunae – spaces in the matrix that house cells
 Osteocytes – mature bone cells
 Spongy
 Trabeculae – columns of bone with spaces filled with red
bone marrow

38. Thank You!