CONNECTIVE TISSUE

LECTURER: MOHAMED BELED BENMUSA

2022-2023
LECTURER: MOHAMED BELED BENMUSA
2022-2023
‫بمناسبة عيد الفطر المبارك‬
 I. CONNECTIVE TISSUE

• Connective tissue is incredibly diverse and contributes

to energy storage, the protection of organs, and the
body’s structural integrity.
• Key Points: Connective tissue is the most abundant
and widely distributed of the primary tissues.
• The main components: cells, fibers, and ground
substance.
• Together the ground substance and fibers make up
the extracellular matrix.
• Major functions of connective tissue include:
1) binding and supporting, 2) protecting,
3) insulating, 4) storing reserve fuel, and
5) transporting substances within the body.
TYPES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
CONNECTIVE TISSUE MAJOR FUNCTIONS

 Binding and supporting.

 Protecting.

 Insulating (Segregating).

 Storing reserve (stand-in) fuel.

 Transporting substances (circulating) within the

body.
 TYPES OF FIBERS FOUND IN
CONNECTIVE TISSUE

1.Collagen Fibers are fibrous proteins and are secreted

into the extracellular space and they provide high
tensile strength to the matrix.

2.Elastic Fibers are long, thin fibers that form branching

network in the extracellular matrix. They help the
connective tissue to stretch and recoil.

3.Reticular Fibers are short, fine collagenous fibers that

can branch extensively to form a delicate network.
CLASSIFICATION OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
 KEY POINTS

 The lymphatic system is a part of the circulatory system,

comprising a network of conduits called lymphatic
vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph
unidirectionally towards the heart.

 Blood is considered a specialized form of connective

tissue. In vertebrates, it is composed of blood cells
suspended in a liquid called blood plasma.

 Adipose tissue or body fat is loose connective tissue

composed of adiposities
 KEY POINTS

 Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many

areas in the bodies of humans and other animals,
including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the
ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the
bronchial tubes, and the intervertebral discs.

 In humans, adipose tissue is located beneath the skin

(subcutaneous fat), around internal organs (visceral
fat), in bone marrow (yellow bone marrow), and in
breast tissue.
 KEY TERMS
 cartilage tissue: A type of dense, non-vascular
connective tissue, usually found at the end of joints,
the rib cage, the ear, the nose, in the throat, and
between intervertebral disks.

 adipose tissue: Connective tissue that stores fat and

cushions and insulates the body.

 blood: A vital liquid flowing in the bodies of many

types of animals that usually conveys nutrients and
oxygen.
 In vertebrates, colored red by hemoglobin, is
conveyed by arteries and veins, is pumped by the
heart, and is usually generated in bone marrow.
 MAIN CATEGORIES

Connective tissue is divided into four main categories:

I. Connective proper

II. Cartilage

III. Bone

IV. Blood
 I. PROPER CONNECTIVE TISSUE

I. Connective tissue proper has two subclasses:

1.loose and
2.dense. Loose connective tissue is divided into
1) areolar,
2) adipose,

3) reticular. Dense connective tissue is divided into

1) Dense regular,
2) Dense irregular,
3) Dense elastic.
 AREOLAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE

 These tissues are widely distributed and serve as a

universal packing material between other tissues. The
functions of areolar connective tissue include the
support and binding of other tissues.

 It also helps in defending against infection. When a

body region is inflamed, the areolar tissue in the area
soaks up the excess fluid as a sponge and the
affected area swells and becomes puffy, a condition
called edema.
 ADIPOSE TISSUE OR BODY FAT

 Adipose tissue: Yellow adipose tissue in paraffin section

with lipids washed out.

 This is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes.

It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat. Its
main role is to store energy in the form of lipids, although
it also cushions and insulates the body.

 The two types of adipose tissue are white adipose tissue

(WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Adipose tissue is
found in specific locations, referred to as adipose
depots.
 RETICULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE

• The tissue resembles areolar connective tissue, but the

only fibers in its matrix are the reticular fibers, which
form a delicate network. The reticular tissue is limited to
certain sites in the body, such as internal frameworks
that can support lymph nodes, spleen, and bone
marrow.
RETICULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DENSE REGULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE

 Consists of closely packed bundles of collagen fibers

running in the same direction. These collagen fibers
are slightly wavy and can stretch a little bit.
• With the tensile strength of collagen, this tissue forms
tendons, aponeurosis and ligaments. This tissue forms
the fascia, which is a fibrous membrane that wraps
around the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.
DENSE REGULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE
 DENSE IRREGULAR TISSUE

• This has the same structural elements as dense

regular tissue, but the bundles of collagen fibers
are much thicker and arranged irregularly. This
tissue is found in areas where tension is exerted
from many different directions. It is part of the skin
dermis area and in the joint capsules of the limbs.
DENSE IRREGULAR TISSUE
 ELASTIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE

• The main fibers that form this tissue are elastic in

nature. These fibers allow the tissues to recoil after
stretching. This is especially seen in the arterial
blood vessels and walls of the bronchial tubes.
ELASTIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE
 Mucoid Connective Tissue

 The umbilical cord normally contains two arteries

(umbilical arteries) and one vein (umbilical vein)
embedded within connective tissue named Wharton's
jelly.
 Mucoid connective tissue (or Wharton's jelly) is a
gelatinous substance that is mostly ground substance
(primarily hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate) with
a low abundance of collagen or reticular fibers.
 Near the remnant of the are many stellate and spindle-
shaped (fusiform) cells.
 Most of these are . However, spindle-shaped
mesenchymal cells are indistinguishable from resting
fibroblasts (which also may be spindle-shaped).
 II. CARTILAGE

 Flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the

bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints
between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the
elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes, and
the intervertebral discs.
 Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called
chondroblasts and, unlike other connective tissues,
cartilage does not contain blood vessels.
 Cartilage is classified in three types:
1. elastic cartilage,
2. hyaline cartilage, and
3. fibrocartilage, which differ in the relative amounts
of these three main components.
 STRUCTURE OF HYALINE CARTILAGE

 As mentioned before, hyaline cartilage contains a lot

of collagen; it contains type II, specifically.
 Type I is found in bones, organs, skin, and tendons,
and most of the collagen in the human body is type I.
 However, cartilage is composed of type II. Hyaline
cartilage also contains the molecule chondroitin
sulfate, which helps it to resist being compressed.
 However, it is the weakest of the three types of
cartilage because its collagen fibers are very fine.
 Hyaline cartilage is the most abundant type of
cartilage in the body.
 CARTILAGE

 Many of us are familiar with this flexible tissue that

makes up our nose and ears.

 Cartilage is strong due to the collagen fibers within its

matrix, and it is resilient due to a gel matrix.

 Cartilage is also found in the body as a cushion within

the skeletal system.
NOSE AND EARS CARTILAGE
 ELASTIC CARTILAGE

 This is similar to hyaline cartilage but is more elastic in

nature. Its function is to maintain the shape of the
structure while allowing flexibility. It is found in the
external ear (known as an auricle) and in the
epiglottis. Hyaline Cartilage
 This is the most abundant of all cartilage in the body.
Its matrix appears transparent or glassy when viewed
under a microscope. It provides strong support while
providing pads for shock absorption. It is a major part
of the embryonic skeleton, the costal cartilages of the
ribs, and the cartilage of the nose, trachea, and
larynx.
 FIBROCARTILAGE

 This is a blend of hyaline cartilage and dense

regular connective tissue. Because it is compressible
and resists tension well, Fibrocartilage is found where
strong support and the ability to withstand heavy
pressure are required. It is found in the intervertebral
discs of the bony vertebrae and knee meniscus.

 Bone tissue is also called the osseous tissue. The

osseous tissue is relatively hard and lightweight in
nature. It is mostly formed of calcium phosphate in
the chemical arrangement termed calcium
hydroxyapatite.
 III. BONES

 Bones are a fourth example of connective tissue.

Bones are made up of different types of connective
tissue, including bone tissue and marrow.

 Bone tissue is either spongy or compact depending on

the organization of the cells and matrix.
BONES
LONG BONE
 IV. BLOOD

 This is considered a specialized form of connective

tissue.
 Blood is a bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary
substances, such as nutrients and oxygen, to the cells
and transports metabolic waste products away from
those same cells.
 It is an atypical connective tissue since it does not
bind, connect, or network with any body cells.
 It is made up of blood cells and is surrounded by a
nonliving fluid called plasma.
‫أتمنى للجميع التوفيق والنجاح في امتحاناتكم‬
THANK YOU
 1. WHEN IS HYALINE CARTILAGE
CALLED ARTICULAR CARTILAGE?

A. When it is surrounded by the perichondrium

B. When it contains chondrocytes
C. When it is found on the larynx
D. When it is found at joints where bones meet

Answer to Question #1
A is correct. Articular cartilage is hyaline cartilage that is
found on the articular surfaces of bone, which is where
bones meet and form joints. Hyaline cartilage is also
found on the larynx, but there is no articular cartilage
there since the larynx is not a bone.
 2. WHICH IS NOT ONE OF THE THREE
TYPES OF CARTILAGE?

A. Elastic
B. Hyaline
C. Mesocartilage
D. Fibrocartilage

Answer to Question #2
C is correct. The three types of cartilage are hyaline
cartilage, elastic cartilage, and fibrocartilage.
Mesocartilage does not exist.
 3. What type of collagen is found in hyaline
cartilage?

A. Type I
B. Type II
C. Type III
D. Type IV

Answer to Question #3
B is correct. Hyaline cartilage contains type II collagen. All cartilage
contains type II collagen; only fibrocartilage has both type I and type II
collagen. Type I is found in organs, skin, tendons, and bones. Type III is a
main component of reticular fibers in soft tissues like the liver, while type IV
makes up the basal lamina. There are 28 types of collagen, but types I, II,
and III comprise most of the collagen in the body.