Connective Tissue Basics
What is the most diverse, abundant, and widely distributed tissue type in the body?
→ Connective tissue
What nonliving material suspends connective tissue cells and fibers?
→ Ground substance
What are the three types of loose connective tissue?
→ Areolar, Adipose, Reticular
What are the three types of dense connective tissue?
→ Dense regular, Dense irregular, Elastic
What type of cells are found in cartilage?
→ Chondrocytes
What are the two main types of bone tissue?
→ Compact and Spongy
Name the four main tissue types in the human body.
→ Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, Nervous
Name the three types of protein fibers in connective tissue.
→ Collagen, Reticular, Elastic
Which loose connective tissue type looks “messy” under the microscope?
→ Areolar tissue
Which dense connective tissue type is found in tendons and ligaments?
→ Dense regular
Which type of cartilage forms flexible support in the nose and trachea?
→ Hyaline cartilage
What type of connective tissue is plasma classified as?
→ Blood (fluid connective tissue)
From what embryonic tissue does connective tissue originate?
→ Mesenchymal embryonic tissue
Which resident cell produces protein fibers and ground substance?
→ Fibroblasts
What type of connective tissue forms the stroma of lymphatic organs?
→ Reticular tissue
Which dense connective tissue type provides strength against stress in multiple directions?
→ Dense irregular
Which type of cartilage provides shock absorption in intervertebral discs?
→ Fibrocartilage
What type of cells reside in bone?
→ Osteocytes
What is one way connective tissue differs structurally from epithelial tissue?
→ Connective tissue has scattered cells and extracellular matrix; epithelial tissue has tightly packed cells with little matrix
Which connective tissue fiber is most abundant in tendons and ligaments, and why?
→ Collagen; strong, flexible, resist stretch
Why is adipose tissue considered a more efficient insulator than areolar tissue?
→ Adipocytes store fat for insulation
Why does dense regular connective tissue heal slowly?
→ Poor blood supply
Why does cartilage heal slowly compared to bone?
→ Avascular; nutrients diffuse slowly
Why is compact bone stronger than spongy bone?
→ Dense matrix vs trabeculae structure
Explain why connective tissue is considered vascularized, and name one exception.
→ Most connective tissue has blood supply; exception = cartilage
Differentiate between resident and wandering cells in connective tissue.
→ Resident = fixed in tissue (fibroblasts, adipocytes, macrophages, mesenchymal); wandering = immune defense/repair
How does areolar tissue help bind skin to deeper tissues?
→ Collagen fibers and viscous ground substance anchor skin
Compare the organization of fibers in dense regular versus dense irregular connective tissue.
→ Dense regular = parallel collagen; Dense irregular = bundles/clumps in many directions
Compare the flexibility of hyaline cartilage and elastic cartilage.
→ Hyaline = flexible support; Elastic = more flexible/stretchy
Differentiate between blood and lymph as fluid connective tissues.
→ Blood = plasma + cells; Lymph = plasma-derived, few/no cells/fibers
Which connective tissue function is most directly involved in the immune system?
→ Immune protection via wandering immune cells
How do glycosaminoglycans affect the viscosity of ground substance?
→ They absorb water and control thickness
Compare the vascularization levels of areolar, adipose, and reticular tissues.
→ All are highly vascularized
Explain why elastic connective tissue is essential in arteries.
→ Allows stretch and recoil during blood flow
Why is fibrocartilage well-suited for its role in intervertebral discs?
→ Dense collagen makes it tough and shock-absorbing
Explain how bone and blood together help regulate calcium levels.
→ Bone stores calcium; blood transports calcium
Compare connective tissue’s role in structural support to its role in transport.
→ Structural support = bones, cartilage, ligaments; transport = blood, lymph
A patient has weak connective tissue that tears easily. Which fibers are likely defective, and what structures would be affected?
→ Collagen fibers; tendons and ligaments
Explain how weight gain affects adipocytes differently than fibroblasts.
→ Adipocytes enlarge/shrink with fat storage; fibroblasts do not
Predict what would happen to skin integrity if dense irregular tissue fibers were arranged in parallel instead of clumps.
→ Skin would tear easily, unable to resist multidirectional stress
Predict how the absence of vascularization in cartilage affects its ability to repair after injury.
→ Limited healing due to poor nutrient/waste exchange
Predict the consequences if spongy bone was absent in the skeletal system.
→ Bones would be heavy and brittle, less shock absorption
Analyze how connective tissue functions work together to maintain homeostasis in the body.
→ Storage (fat, bone), protection (bone/cartilage), transport (blood), and defense (immune cells) integrate to maintain balance
Predict the impact on connective tissue if mesenchymal cells lost the ability to differentiate.
→ Repair/regeneration of damaged tissue would fail
A patient with immune system issues shows reduced leukocyte presence in reticular tissue. Predict the functional consequences.
→ Lymphatic organs weaken, impairing immune defense
A vocal cord injury damages elastic connective tissue. How would this impact function, and why?
→ Loss of vibration and flexibility in vocal cords = impaired speech
A patient with a damaged epiglottis would have problems with which cartilage type, and what function would be compromised?
→ Elastic cartilage; airway protection during swallowing
A patient with low plasma protein levels has swelling (edema). How does plasma normally prevent this, and why does its absence cause fluid buildup?
→ Plasma proteins maintain osmotic balance; without them, fluid leaks into tissues