Connective Tissue

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  • Definition:

    "A connective tissue is a tissue in which the cells are separated by an intracellular matrix (hence includes blood). The matrix is composed of ground substance (proteinaceous) plus fibres."

  • General Classes:
  • Cells
    • Fixed:
      • Fibroblasts
      • adipose cells
      • mesenchymal cells
        • Precursors of cell in development, may remain to replace those as necessary
    • Free:
      • Short lived
      • defensive
      • macrophages
        • Phagocytosis of old cells and foreign organisms
      • Mast cells
        • initiate inflammatory response
  • Matrix
    • Ground substance
      • cell and fibres embedded in highly hydrated gel
      • gel composed of large complex molecules( bottlebrush -like proteoglycans attached to long string-like molecules of hyaluronic acid) enclosing large domains
      • gel restricts movement of bacteria
      • bacterial hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid and allows bacteria through gel
    • Collagen
    • Fibrillin
    • Elastic fibres
    • Adhesive glycoproteins
  • Connective tissue types
    • Reticular
      • Form of loose connective tissue
      • mainly type III collagen forming wide meshed network
      • stroma of bone marrow, spleen lymph nodes and thymus
    • Mucous connective tissue
      • nearly completely in embryo, e.g. in umbilical cord
      • v. large amounts of ground substance
    • Dense irregular
      • e.g. dermis of skin
      • coarse fibre bundles woven into tight meshwork
    • Dense regular
      • cylindrical cords or flat sheets of collagen fibres
      • e.g. tendons, aponeuroses
    • Cartilage
    • Bone

 

5.2 CONNECTIVE TISSUE [Hist]

5.2.1 Structure [Hist]

Tendons, ligaments, aponeuroses, fascia, interstitial fluids.
Molecular components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) (collagens, elastin, other glycoproteins, proteoglycans and hyaluronan).
Connective tissue cells (a) synthesize ECM, (b) degrade ECM, (c) are present within ECM for other purposes (e.g., macrophages, mast cells).
Adipose tissue.

5.2.2 Function [Morph]

Collagen, elastin: structure and function.
 

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