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

2. Tissue: The Living Fabric
Chapter 4
Tissue: The Living Fabric

3. Part II: Connective Tissue

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

5. Classification Variations in blood supply Extracellular matrix
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