Connective Tissue M.Sc. Sarah Ahmed
د . سارة (م 3)Connective Tissue: Connective tissue is the most abundant and widely distributed tissue type found in the human body. The role of connective tissue is to protect, support, and bind together parts of the body. Connective tissues tend to be very vascular (have a rich blood supply). Some exceptions, such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilages, are less vascularized, but overall, connective tissues possess a great blood supply than the epithelial tissue Connective tissues are made up of many types of specialized cells. Connective tissues contain a large amount of non-living material referred to as the matrix (composed of ground substance and fibers). Typically, this material is manufactured and secreted by the cells of the specific connective tissues.
Figure 4.7 Areolar connective tissue: A prototype (model) connective tissue.
MacrophageFibroblast
Lymphocyte
Fat cell
Mast cell
Neutrophil
Capillary
Cell types
Extracellular matrix
Fibers• Collagen fiber• Elastic fiber• Reticular fiber Ground substance
There are four types of connective tissues found in the human body: 1. Connective tissue proper a. Loose Connective Tissue i. Areolar ii. Adipose iii. Reticular b. Dense Connective Tissue i. Dense regular ii. Dense irregular iii. Dense elastic 2. Cartilage a. Hyaline b. Elastic c. Fibrocartilage 3. Bone (osseous tissue) 4. Blood
(f) Connective tissue proper: dense connective tissue, elastic
Description: Dense regular connective tissue containing a high proportion of elastic fibers.
Function: Allows recoil of tissue following stretching; maintains pulsatile flow of blood through arteries; aids passive recoil of lungs following inspiration.
Location: Walls of large arteries; within certain ligaments associated with the vertebral column; within the walls of the bronchial tubes.
Elastic fibers
Aorta
Heart
Photomicrograph: Elastic connective tissue in the wall of the aorta (250x).