CT proper loose
This type of loose connective tissue is similar to areolar tissue but instead is composed of thinner reticular fibers. These reticular fibers form a mesh-like stroma which serves as support for the cells of our immune system found in places like our lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow.
What is reticular connective tissue?
This type of dense connective tissue is composed of thick collagen fibers all running parallel to the direction of pull. Can be found in our tendons and ligaments.
What is dense regular connective tissue?
The immature cartilage cells that are responsible for the secretion of the matrix
What are chondroblasts?
These are the mature bone cells that are responsible for maintaining the matrix.
What are osteocytes?
This part of the extracellular matrix of connective tissue is typically fluid and composed mostly of water with some sugars.
What is ground substance?
This type of loose connective tissue functions in providing insulation, supporting and protecting organs, and it acts as a fuel reserve
What is adipose tissue?
This type of muscle tissue is our only voluntary muscle type. The cells of this tissue are known as muscle fibers and the cells contain multiple nuclei.
This type of cartilage is similar to hyaline cartilage, but it has more elastic fibers in its matrix. These elastic fibers give this cartilage flexibility, and it can be found at the external ear and the epiglottis.
What is elastic cartilage?
These are the immature bone cells that are responsible for the secretion of the matrix.
What are osteoblasts?
This type of fiber found in connective tissue is composed of networks of long, thin, chains of elastin that allow for stretch and recoil
What are elastic fibers?
This type of fat uses lipids to heat the body rather than utilizing the lipids to produce ATP
What is brown fat?
This type of muscle tissue can be found in the walls of our hollow organs. It is controlled involuntarily and has no visible striations
What is smooth muscle?
This is the most abundant cartilage in our body and it can be found on the ends of long bones, the trachea, the ribs, the larynx, and the nose
What is hyaline cartilage?
The fluid matrix of blood
What is plasma?
These cells found in connective tissue are phagocytic cells that engulf dead cells and microorganisms. They also play a role in the immune system.
What are macrophages?
This is the most widely distributed connective tissue. It supports and binds other tissues, serving as the universal packing material between tissues.
What is areolar tissue?
This type of dense connective tissue is characterized by its ability to stretch and recoil and it can be found in the wall of many large arteries
What is elastic connective tissue?
This type of cartilage has many thick collagen fibers which provide it with strong tensile strength allowing it to absorb compressive shock. It can be found at the intervertebral discs, discs of the knee joint, and the pubic synthesis.
These are the supporting cells for neurons
What are the neuroglia?
This type of connective tissue fiber is composed of short, fine collagenous fibers that are highly branched.
What are reticular fibers?
These are the three types of loose connective tissue.
What are areolar, adipose, and reticular connective tissues?
This type of dense connective tissue is composed of thick, irregularly arranged collagen fibers. This irregular arrangement allows this tissue type to resist pull from multiple directions.
What is dense irregular connective tissue?
Cartilage is slow to heal, if at all, due to this characteristic
What is avascularity?
These are the individual structural units of compact bone.
What are osteons?
These cells found in connective tissue initiate a local inflammatory response against foreign microorganisms that they detect.
What are mast cells?