Epithelium
This layer underlies all epithelial tissues, providing support and attachment.
What is the basement membrane?
The most common connective tissue cell, responsible for producing fibers and ECM.
What is the fibroblast?
These cells reside within lacunae of cartilage.
What are chondrocytes?
The plasma membrane of a muscle fiber is called this.
What is the sarcolemma?
The basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system.
What is the neuron?
This type of epithelium lines blood vessels and lymphatics.
What is simple squamous (endothelium)?
These immune cells in connective tissue release histamine and heparin.
What are mast cells?
This type of cartilage is the most common and forms the fetal skeleton.
What is hyaline cartilage?
This connective tissue surrounds each individual muscle fiber.
What is the endomysium?
Supporting cells of the CNS are collectively called this.
What are neuroglia (or glial cells)?
This epithelial type appears stratified but all cells rest on the basement membrane.
What is pseudostratified columnar epithelium?
White adipose tissue primarily functions in energy storage, while brown adipose is specialized for this.
What is heat production (thermogenesis)?
This type of cartilage provides strength and resistance to compression, found in intervertebral discs.
What is fibrocartilage?
Which type of muscle is striated, branched, and involuntary?
What is cardiac muscle?
The insulation around axons that speeds up conduction is called this.
What is the myelin sheath?
Which type of epithelium is specialized to withstand abrasion, found in the esophagus and oral cavity?
What is stratified squamous nonkeratinized epithelium?
Which fiber type provides tensile strength and is the most abundant protein in the body?
What is collagen?
Bone cells that resorb and remodel bone are called this.
What are osteoclasts?
The sarcomere extends from this line to this line.
What is Z line to Z line?
The junction where a neuron communicates with another cell is called this.
What is the synapse?
Transitional epithelium has this unique property that makes it suited to line the urinary bladder.
What is the ability to stretch and change shape (distensibility)?
According to embryology, all connective tissues are derived from this germ layer.
What is the mesoderm?
Compare intramembranous and endochondral ossification in one sentence.
Intramembranous ossification forms bone directly from mesenchyme (skull), while endochondral ossification replaces a cartilage model ( long bones).
Distinguish between slow oxidative and fast glycolytic fibers.
Slow oxidative are fatigue-resistant, many mitochondria, red fibers, while fast glycolytic are quick to fatigue, few mitochondria, white fibers.
Explain saltatory conduction in one sentence.
Action potentials jump from one Node of Ranvier to the next in myelinated axons, speeding conduction.