CONNECTIVE TISSUE NOTES & SLIDES

CONNECTIVE TISSUE CHARACTERISTICS MOST COMMON TISSUE IN THE BODY FUNCTIONS INCLUDE: BINDIING & SUPPORT, PROTECTION, INSULATION, & TRANSPORTATION CONTAINS BLOOD VESSELS (HAS BLOOD SUPPLY) CELLS ARE IN AN EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (NON-LIVING)

LOOSE (AREOLAR) CONNECTIVE TISSUE Areolar connective tissue is also called loose connective tissue. You will find collagen, elastic, and reticular fibers laced throughout the extracellular materials. You can easily distinguish between the different cell types at this magnification. Fibroblasts are small dark elongated cells. The mast cells are the largest of the cells and are filled with histamine granules. Macrophages are the pale, puffy-looking cells. .

LOOSE (AREOLAR) CONNECTIVE TISSUE - APPEARANCE MANY CELLS & FIBERS IN A GEL-LIKE MATRIX

LOOSE (AREOLAR) CONNECTIVE TISSUE - LOCATION IN THE SKIN WRAPPED AROUND ORGANS, NERVES, & BLOOD VESSELS

LOOSE (AREOLAR) CONNECTIVE TISSUE - FUNCTIONS SUPPORTS (NERVES AND BLOOD VESSELS) FILLS SPACES (BETWEEN ORGANS & CUSHIONS THEM) BINDS STRUCTURES TOGETHER

ADIPOSE TISSUE - 100X Adipose is areolar connective tissue that contains mostly fat cells or adipocytes. An arteriole and venule can be seen in the upper right part of the image. The lung is an organ that looks like adipose tissue.

ADIPOSE - 400X Each adipocyte must have a nucleus, but it is not always visible. This nucleus is pressed against the cell membrane because of the large oil droplet.

ADIPOSE (FAT) - APPEARANCE LARGE CELLS CONTAINING A LIPID DROPLET (“NET” OR “BEEHIVE”)

ADIPOSE - LOCATION AROUND EYES, PALMS OF HAND, SOLES OF FEET BETWEEN JOINTS MAKES UP ~18% OF BODY WEIGHT IN MALES AND ~28% IN FEMALES

ADIPOSE - FUNCTIONS FUEL RESERVE PADDING TO ABSORB SHOCK INSULATION - HELPS TO MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS *WOMEN LACKING SUFFICIENT ADIPOSE TISSUE MAY CEASE TO MENSTRUATE

DENSE, FIBROUS CONNECTIVE TISSUE Dense regular connective tissue is easily recognizable by the parallel, tightly-packed collagen fibers. The thin dark lines are actually the fibroblasts squeezed between the collagen fibers.

DENSE, FIBROUS CONNECTIVE TISSUE - APPEARANCE CLOSELY PACKED WHITE COLLAGEN FIBERS THAT RUN PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER; STRONG AND FLEXIBLE BUT NOT VERY ELASTIC

DENSE , FIBROUS CONNECTIVE TISSUE - LOCATION FORMS LIGAMENTS (CONNECT BONE TO BONE) FORMS TENDONS (CONNECT MUSCLE TO BONE) INNER SKIN LAYER

DENSE, FIBROUS CONNNECTIVE TISSUE - FUNCTIONS HOLD BONES IN PLACE AT JOINTS ATTACH SKELETAL MUSCLES TO BODY KEEPS MUSCULAR BUNDLES IN PLACE STRENGHTENS THE DERMIS OF THE SKIN

HYALINE CARTILAGE This shrunken chondrocyte is only a remnant of its former self when alive. *CARTILAGE IS THE ONLY CONNECTIVE TISSUE THAT LACKS A BLOOD SUPPLY*

HYALINE CARTILAGE - APPEARANCE CLEAR MATRIX WITH SCATTERED GROUPS OF CELLS IN LACUNAE(CAPSULES) THAT ARE OFTEN PAIRED

HYALINE CARTILAGE - LOCATION MOST ABUNDANT TYPE OF CARTILAGE IN THE ADULT BODY CAPS THE ENDS OF BONES FORMS THE INTERNAL FRAMEWORK OF THE FETUS - LATER REPLACED BY BONE ALSO FOUND IN LARYNX, NOSE, RIBS, & TRACHEA

HYALINE CARTILAGE - FUNCTIONS SUPPORTS AND REINFORCES BODY PARTS FORMS THE MODEL FOR FUTURE SKELETON PROVIDES SLIPPERY SURFACE WHERE BONES MEET

ELASTIC CARTILAGE - 100X The large bubbly-looking chondrocytes make the identification of cartilage easy. The extensive extracellular matrix contains darkly-stained elastic fibers.

ELASTIC CARTILAGE - 400x Each chondrocyte fills the lacuna in which it is imprisoned. As you can see in this image, the cells often shrink away from the wall of the lacuna during slide preparation.

ELASTIC CARTILAGE APPEARANCE: MORE OPAQUE MATRIX WITH SCATTERED GROUPS OF CELLS AND BRANCHING ELASTIC FIBERS LOCATION: EAR, EPIGLOTTIS FUNCTION: PROVIDES FLEXIBLE STRENGTH & SUPPORT

FIBROCARTILAGE - 100X The large cells with the red-stained nuclei are the chondrocytes surrounded by large numbers of collagen fibers. The two identifying characteristics of fibrocartilage are the large cells and the densely-packed collagen fibers.

FIBROCARTILAGE - 400X Chondrocytes are always very large cells that appear "bubbly". Their large size allows them to be identified even at relatively low magnifications.

FIBROCARTILAGE APPEARANCE: THICK, COMPACT PARALLEL COLLAGEN BUNDLES BETWEEN ENCAPSULATED CELLS LOCATION: BETWEEN VERTEBRAE, KNEE JOINTS, AND PUBIC SYMPHYSIS FUNCTION: ABSORBS SHOCK & PROVIDES HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH

BLOOD 400x total magnification reveals the basic cell characteristics, but an oil immersion objective is desirable for accurate identifications. Choose the individual blood cell types in the main listing to see the appropriate images.

BLOOD - APPEARANCE PLASMA = CLEAR LIQUID MATRIX CORPUSCLES = SOLIDS FLOATING IN PLASMA (RED BLOOD CELLS, WHITE BLOOD CELLS, PLATELETS)

BLOOD - LOCATION CONTAINED WITHIN BLOOD VESSELS & HEART ( CIRCULATORY SYSTEM)

BLOOD - FUNCTIONS TRANSPORT

BONE - 100X The large central canal contains blood vessels and nerves. The osteocytes reside in their lacunae. The lamellae, or "growth rings" remind one of the appearance of a log cut in cross section. The hair-like canaliculi are tiny canals that contain the extensions of the osteocyte.

BONE - 400x

BONE - APPEARANCE MOSTLY SOLID MATRIX WITH SCATTERED CELLS

BONE - LOCATION SKELETON

BONE - FUNCTIONS SUPPORT & PROTECTION

The End