Anatomy and Physiology- Connective Tissues and Cartilage

identifying connective tissue types and terminology under the microscope

Areolar tissue

thick pink fibers and thin randomly arranged black fibers (connective tissue)

Adipose tissue

connective tissue that has air bubbles (fat/lipids)

fibroblasts

little black dots within the cells (kinda look like nuclei)

Reticular tissue

Thick black fibers and special stain needed to see it (looks like alveolar sacs; usually found in lymphoid organs: lymph nodes, bone marrow, and spleen)

Function: Supports other cell types, protection

Loose Connective Tissue

less densely packed/ more air spaces tissue (adipose, areolar, reticular)

Dense Regular

tightly packed tissue that goes in one direction (nuclei looks squished compared to smooth muscle that has rounder nuclei)

regular fibers

fibers running in one direction in an image

Dense irregular

tightly packed tissue and irregular (running in many different directions)

irregular fibers

fibers running in many different directions (cells may appear smushed on other diagrams)

Elastic

purple squiggly lines that are tightly packed

Areolar tissue (function)

Wraps and cushions organs, holds and conveys tissue fluid

Location: Under epithelial of body; lamina Proper of Mucous Membranes

Areolar tissue

Reticular tissue

Recticular Tissue (fuction)

Function: Supports other cell types, protection

Location: Lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, bone marrow, and spleen)

Recticular (identify image)

Collagen

appear as pink thick lines under the microscope. Acts as structural glue and holds skin, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments etc together

Elastic Dense (identify image)

Dense Irregular (function)

Function: Able to withstand tension from many different directions and provides structural strength

Location: Fibrous capsules of organs and joint; Dermis of skin, submucosa of digestive tract

Cartilage (Hyaline)

hyaline: something that is transparent and glossy in appearance

Function: Support and reinforces tissue; cushions, and resistant to compressive stress

Location: Embryonic skeleton, covers ends of long bones in joint cavities, costal cartilage of ribs, nose, trachea, and layrnx

Elastic Cartilage

Function: Maintains shape of structure while allowing great flexibility

Location: Supports the External Ear, Epiglottis

Lacunae

a small, hollow space, cavity, or depression in bone and cartilage tissue (“microscopic caves”)

Chondrocyte

active cells responsible for producing and maintaining the cartilage's extracellular matrix

Fibrocartilage

Function: Tensile strength with the ability to absorb compressive shock

Location: Intervertebral Discs, Pubic Symphysis, Discs of Knee Joint

Dense Bone

Dense Bone (Function)

Functions- are support, protection, levers for muscles, stores calcium, minerals and fat, marrow is site of blood cell formation.

Blood (location and function)

Location- inside blood vessels and the heart.

Functions- are transport of respiratory gases, nutrients, wastes, and other substances.