Tissues: The Living Fabric

Vocabulary flashcards covering connective tissues, muscle tissues, nervous tissue, and body membranes from the lecture materials.

Connective tissue proper subclasses

The two main subdivisions of connective tissue proper: loose connective tissues (areolar, adipose, reticular) and dense connective tissues (dense regular, dense irregular, elastic).

Areolar connective tissue

The most widely distributed loose connective tissue that supports and binds other tissues, acts as universal packing material, contains fibroblasts secreting loose collagen fibers, and serves as an interstitial fluid reservoir.

Adipose tissue

A loose connective tissue containing adipocytes that functions in nutrient storage, shock absorption, insulation, and energy storage (white fat), or heats the bloodstream (brown fat).

Brown fat

A type of adipose tissue that utilizes lipid fuels to heat the bloodstream directly rather than producing ATP.

Reticular connective tissue

A loose connective tissue featuring thin reticular fibers secreted by reticular cells, forming a mesh-like stroma that supports blood cells in lymph nodes, the spleen, and bone marrow.

Dense regular connective tissue

A connective tissue featuring closely packed parallel bundles of thick collagen fibers manufactured by fibroblasts, providing high tensile strength and resistance to pulling in tendons and ligaments.

Dense irregular connective tissue

A connective tissue made of thick, irregularly arranged collagen fiber bundles forming sheets that withstand tension from many directions; found in the dermis, fibrous joint capsules, and fibrous coverings of organs.

Dense elastic connective tissue

A dense connective tissue high in elastic fibers that enables stretching and recoil; found in ligaments connecting adjacent vertebrae and in the walls of large arteries.

Chondrocytes

Mature cartilage cells located in matrix cavities called lacunae.

Perichondrium

The surrounding membrane of cartilage that supplies nutrients to the avascular cartilage tissue and gives rise to chondroblasts and chondrocytes.

Hyaline cartilage

The most abundant cartilage type ("gristle") with a shiny bluish glass appearance, found at the ends of long bones, nose, trachea, larynx, and rib cartilage.

Elastic cartilage

A cartilage type similar to hyaline cartilage but containing a higher concentration of elastic fibers; found in the ears and epiglottis.

Fibrocartilage

A strong cartilage tissue with properties intermediate between hyaline cartilage and dense regular connective tissue, located in intervertebral discs and the knee.

Osseous tissue

Bone connective tissue containing collagen fibers, inorganic calcium salts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes in lacunae organized into cylindrical units called osteons.

Blood connective tissue

An atypical fluid connective tissue consisting of red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets suspended in a fluid plasma matrix.

Myofilaments

Protein filaments composed of actin and myosin within muscle cells that produce muscle contraction.

Skeletal muscle tissue

Voluntary muscle tissue attached to bones, characterized by long, cylindrical, striated cells containing multiple nuclei.

Cardiac muscle tissue

Involuntary muscle tissue located in the walls of the heart, featuring branching striated cells with a single nucleus and intercalated discs.

Intercalated discs

Specialized junctional sites where branching cardiac muscle cells join one another.

Smooth muscle tissue

Involuntary muscle tissue found in the walls of hollow organs, consisting of non-striated, spindle-shaped cells with a single nucleus.

Neurons

Specialized nerve cells of the nervous system that generate and conduct electrical nerve impulses.

Neuroglia

Supporting cells in nervous tissue that function to support, insulate, and protect neurons.

Cutaneous membrane

The skin; a dry membrane composed of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium (epidermis) attached to a thick layer of connective tissue (dermis).

Mucous membranes

Moist lining membranes (mucosae) that line body cavities open to the exterior, comprising an epithelial sheet over a layer of loose connective tissue named lamina propria.

Lamina propria

The layer of loose connective tissue that lies directly beneath the epithelial sheet in mucous membranes.

Serous membranes

Moist membranes (serosae) lining closed ventral body cavities, composed of simple squamous epithelium (mesothelium) over thin areolar connective tissue, separated into parietal and visceral layers.

Mesothelium

The simple squamous epithelium that forms the surface layer of serous membranes resting on thin areolar connective tissue.