Connective Tissue

Front 1

What is connective tissue?

Back 1

Connective tissue is a matrix of cells in ground substance and fibres.

Front 2

What is the function of connective tissue?

Back 2

The function of connective tissue is to provide support to the body and to allow attachments between various body structures.

Front 3

What are the properties of connective tissue and how do they compare to epithelial tissue?

Back 3

There are three properties of connective tissue:

1) Cells found in connective tissue are sparsely arranged, meaning that they aren't tightly packed. This contrasts to epithelial tissue that consists of tightly packed cells.

Front 4

What are the properties of connective tissue and how do they compare to epithelial tissue? [CONTINUED]

Back 4

2) Connective tissue is vascularized, meaning that it has blood vessels in it. With the exception of cartilage.

This contrasts to epithelial tissue which is avascular but innervated. This means that it doesn't have blood vessels passing through it but it has nerves. The blood vessels essentially function as a pathway for blood. The blood functions to transport nutrients and waste, to and away from the body. Thus, epithelial tissue has the movement of nutrients and waste via diffusion.

Front 5

What are the properties of connective tissue and how do they compare to epithelial tissue? [CONTINUED]

Back 5

3) Connective tissue is diverse and the largest tissue found on the body.

Front 6

What are the constituents of connective tissue?

Back 6

Connective tissue is made up of three things:

1) Ground substance

2) Fibres

3) Cells

Front 7

What is ground substance and what is it made out of?

Back 7

Ground substance is an interstitial fluid found between the cells. It is made up of mostly water and other structural components.

1) Hyaluronic Acid - It is a complex molecule comprised of proteins and polysaccharides. It is found in all proper connective tissue.

2) Chondroitin sulfate - It is a proteoglycan that is jelly-like and it provides the body support.

3) Dermatin sulfate

4) Keratin sulfate

5) Proteoglycans

5

Front 8

What fibres are found in connective tissue?

Back 8

There are three types of fibres found in connective tissue and they are:

1) Collagen fibres - They are large fibres made up of collagen proteins and they function to provide strength and tissue flexibility. They are the largest type of fibres found.

2) Reticular fibres - They are a mesh network of thin and delicate fibres made up of collagen proteins. The make up organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes. They are the smallest fibres.

3) Elastic fibres - They are intermediate fibres that consist of elastin protein. They function to provide stretching properties.

Front 9

What cells are found in connective tissue?

Back 9

The cells found in connective tissue are:

1) Mesenchymal cells - These are stem cells that produce all connective tissue cells.

2) Fibroblast - These are immature cells that produce fibres and ground substance.

3) Adipocytes - These are fat cells and they function to store triglycerides, insulate, protect organs and provide energy.

The other types of cells are immune cells and they are:

1) Macrophages - They are a type of white blood cell that phagocytize foreign objects in the body. They are derived from monocytes.

2) Mast cells - These are a type of white blood cells that secrete histamine in response to injury or inflammation or allergic reaction. The histamine causes the blood capillaries to dilate (widen) and smooth muscles to contract.

3) Plasma - These are antibody secreting cells that are derived from B-lymphocytes.

Front 10

What are the different types of collagen and where are they found?

Mnemonic ( "Be So Totally Cool, Read Books")

Back 10

The different types of collagen are:

1) Collagen I (one) - It is found in the bones, skin, tendons and ligaments.

2) Collagen II (two) - It is found in hyaline cartilage.

3) Collagen III (three) - It is found in a reticulate network of cellular tissue in the bone marrow, liver and lymphoid organs.

4) Collagen IV (four) - It is found in the basement membrane.

5) Collagen VII (seven) - It is a fibre found between

Front 11

How is connective tissue classified?

Back 11

Connective tissue can be classified into three groups:

1) Proper Connective Tissue

2) Structural Connective Tissue

3) Fluid Connective Tissue

Front 12

What is Proper Connective Tissue made up of?

Back 12

There are two types of connective tissue:

1) Dense Connective Tissue

2) Loose Connective Tissue

Front 13

What is the difference between Dense and Loose Connective Tissue?

Back 13

The fibres are compactly arranged in dense connective tissue is compactly arranged whereas the the fibres are loosely arranged.

Front 14

What types of connective tissue are found in dense connective tissue?

Back 14

The types of connective tissue found in dense connective tissue are:

1) Regular dense connective tissue

2) Irregular dense connective tissue

3) Elastic connective tissue

Front 15

What is Regular Dense connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 15

Regular Dense Connective Tissue:

Fibres: It mostly comprises of collagen fibres that are arranged in a parallel direction. There are little to no elastic tissue.

Cells: It consists of fibroblasts which, function to produce more collagen fibres and ground substance.

Ground substance: The ground substance is gel-like.

Function: It functions to provides a strong attachment between various structural components.

Location: It forms ligaments, tendons and aponeuroses.

Front 16

What is Irregular Dense connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 16

Irregular Dense Connective Tissue:

Fibres: It is mostly made up of collagen fibres that are sporadically/randomly arranged. It has little to no elastic fibres.

Cells: It consists of fibroblasts which function to produce the collagen fibres and the ground substance.

Ground substance: It has a gel-like matrix.

Function: It functions to provide support and strength.

Location: It is found in the dermis of the skin, the submucosa of the digestive tract, the fasciae, joint capsules and heart valves

Front 17

What is Elastic Dense connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 17

Elastic Dense Connective Tissue:

Fibres: It is mostly made up of elastic fibres and little to no collagen fibres.

Cells: It has fibroblasts that function to produce the elastic fibres

Function: It allows tissues to recoil after stretching. It allows pulsating blood flow within arteries and it allow for the lungs to recoil after inspiration/inhalation.

Location: It is found in the bronchi's of the lungs, in the walls of large arteries and in the ligaments of the vertebral column.

Front 18

What types of connective tissue are found in loose connective tissue?

Back 18

There are three types of loose connective tissue:

1) Areolar Connective Tissue

2) Adipose Connective Tissue

3) Reticular Connective Tissue

Front 19

What is Areolar connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 19

Areolar (Loose) Connective Tissue:

Cells: It is made of two types of cells:

1) Fibroblasts - They are immature cells that function to produce ground substance and all the fibres present. The fibres present in the areolar connective tissue are collagen fibres, elastic fibres and reticular fibres.

2) Macrophages - They are immune cells that function to phagocytize any foreign bodies. They are formed from monocytes.

Fibres: All three types of fibres are present.

1) Collagen fibres - They are large fibres and they function to provide strength and they give rise to tissue flexibility. They consist of collagen proteins and they are the largest fibres.

2) Elastic fibres - They are intermediate fibres and they function to provides stretching and recoiling properties. They consist of elastin protein and they are the second largest type of fibres.

3) Reticular fibres - They are meshwork network of delicate and thin branched fibres, made out of collagen proteins. They make organs such as the spleen and lymph nodes.

Ground substance: The ground substance is semi-fluid.

Function: It functions to provide support, strength and elasticity. It is similar to bubblewrap that covers and protects various items.

Location: It surrounds organs, nerves and blood vessels - It is found in subcutaneous layers (beneath the skin).

It also supports mucous membranes, such as the mucosa of the colon.

Front 20

What is Adipose connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 20

Adipose Connective Tissue:

Cells: Adipocytes - They are fat cells that function to insulate, protect organs, provide energy and store triglycerides.

Ground substance: The ground substance has a gel-like matrix.

Function: They function to store triglycerides, insulate, protect organs and provide energy.

Location: They are found around organs, in the yellow marrow of bones and also in subcutaneous layers (beneath skin).

Front 21

What is Reticular connective tissue made up of? What is its function and location?

Back 21

Reticular Connective Tissue:

Cells: Fibroblasts - They function to produce fibres and ground substance.

Fibres: Reticular fibres - They are a meshwork network of delicate and thin fibres that are made of branched collagen proteins.

Function: They function to form a soft internal skeleton that supports immune cells (white blood cells, mast cells and macrophages).

Location: They are located in the lymphoid organs, i.e. the bone marrow, the spleen and the lymph nodes.

Front 22

What are the different types of structural connective tissue?

Back 22

There are two type of structural connective tissue and they are:

1) Bones

2) Cartilage

Front 23

What is fluid connective tissue?

Back 23

There is one kind of fluid connective tissue and it is:

1) Blood.