THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE

 It is made up of cells that are loosely arranged and are supported by a solid or liquid matrix.
 The most widely distributed tissue in the body
 Forming the principal supporting tissue

Functions:

1. To connect one part to another

2. Support and hold tissue together
3. Repair and healing processes of the body

Structures of connective tissue:

I. Connective tissue cells

a. Fibroblasts – flattened, stellate processes, typical connective tissue cell
b. Phagocytes/macrophages
c. Plasma cell – spherical
d. Mast cell – with granular cytoplasm
e. Fat cells – signet ring like
f. Pigment cells – containing melanin granules

II. Intercellular/ground substance

o Made up of glycoprotein and proteoglycans
o Homogenous and varies from solid, semi-solid, liquid, semi-liquid
o Contains connective tissue fibers, namely:

a. Collagenous (white) fiber

o Composed of protein called “collagen” (an albuminoid substance that gives rise to gelatin on
boiling).
o Dull and opaque in appearance
o Tend to form bundles, tough, strong and flexible

b. Elastic (yellow) fiber

o Composed of protein – “Elastin”, that provides tissue with elasticity and extensibility
o Tend to form curves, branching and anastomosing

c. Reticular fiber
o Composed of protein – “reticulin”
o Similar to collagen fibers
o Form a lattice like framework (net-like)

Classifications of connective tissue:

I. Loose connective tissue
 Characterized by loose, irregular arrangements of fibers, extensive amounts of ground substance and cells.

Types of loose connective tissue:

a. Embryonal/ mesenchymal
o Observed only in fetal life, and during
regeneration or repair of tissues in adults.

b. Mucous - the ground substance contains o Ex. Vitreous humour, Wharton’s jelly of
“glycoprotein” (mucin) umbilical cord

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 c. Reticular – forms the main support of
lymphoid organs
o Also known as the “lymphoid tissue”

d. Areolar – most typical and widely distributed

connective tissue, and found in almost all
parts of the body.

e. Adipose – similar to Areolar except for the

predominance of fat cells grouped into
masses or lobules; found wherever areolar
tissues are found; they may form into large
accumulations or fat depots.

II. Dense connective tissue

 Characterized by compact arrangement of fibers, with limited amount of ground substance and small number
of cells.

a. Fibrous connective tissue

 Contains an excess of collagen fibers, forming dense bundles, resulting into a compression of cellular
elements between interstices.
 Tissue of great strength
 Ex. Tendons – connects muscle to bone
Ligaments – connects bone to bone
Fascia – encloses a muscle
Aponeurosis – muscle to muscle

b. Elastic connective tissue

 Contains an excess of elastic fibers, arranged in parallel bands, the cells are flattened between, fibers.
 Ex. Yellow ligaments – ligamentum flava, ligamentum nuchae
True vocal cords

III. Specialized connective tissue

1. Cartilage
 a pliable tissue made- up of a dense, firm, and elastic matrix with a rubbery consistency known as”
chondrin”;The cell is “chondrocytes” enclosed in a space called “lacunae”
 Provides support and protection

Types of cartilage:
1. Hyaline
2. Elastic
3. Fibrocartilage

a. Hyaline cartilage
 Provided with perichondrium
 The most abundant and the main bone
forming cartilage
 Found in respiratory tract, rib cage, and
developing bone

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 b. Elastic cartilage
 Provided with perichondrium
 Similar to hyaline cartilage except for the
presence of abundant elastic fibers which
makes it very flexible and strong
 Found in larynx, epiglottis, external ear,
auditory canal

c. Fibrocartilage
 Without perichondrium
 The least common type, and a durable
tissue adapted to withstand tension and
compression.
 Found in symphysis pubis and between
vertebrae as intervertebral discs
 It also forms the cartilaginous wedges within
the knee joint – “menisci”.

2. Bone/ Osseous tissue

- The most rigid of all the connective tissue.
 Characterized by hard, solid calcaneous
ground substance or matrix
 The cell is “osteocytes” enclosed in a space
called “lacunae”
 The structural unit of the bone is the
“Haversian system”

Structure of Haversian system:

1. Haversian (central) canal – containing bone marrow
2. Haversian lamellae – found around the central canal
3. Lacunae – small spaces found between lamellae containing osteocytes
4. Canaliculi – small canal serves to communicate between lacunae

Major morphologic and functional differences of bone from cartilage

1. Canaliculi system
2. Vascularity of the bone
3. Growth process by apposition

3. Hemopoetic tissue
 Involved in the formation and maturation of blood cells
Types of hemopoetic tissue
1. Lymphoid tissue – source lymph nodes, liver, spleen
2. Myeloid tissue – source bone marrow

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4. Vascular tissue (blood)
 A highly specialized connective tissue that plays a vital role in maintaining internal body homeostasis.

Components of the blood:

1. Plasma – fluid portion constitutes 55% of the total blood volume
2. Formed elements – a cellular portion constitutes 45% of the total blood volume

Types of formed elements:

1. RBC/ erythrocytes
2. WBC/ leukocytes
3. Platelets/ thrombocytes

Red blood cell

 Red color is due to protein, hemoglobin
 Bone marrow is the site of production
 Life span is 90-120 days

White blood cells

 Serves as a mobile defense force to protect the body against invasions by microorganisms.
 Produced in bone marrow and lymphatic tissue
 Life span is between 3-300 days

a. Neutrophils – the most abundant WBC,

phagocytic
b. Eosinophil – involved in allergic
reactions and parasitism; released
substance to reduce inflammation
c. Basophils – the least common WBC,
release histamine and heparin
d. Lymphocytes – smallest and 2nd most
abundant, involved in immune responses
e. Monocytes – the largest and becomes
macrophages in tissues, phagocytic

Platelets
 Involved in blood clotting
 Formed from the fragments of megakaryocytes from bone marrow
 Life span is between 5-7 days

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