Connective Tissue (Human Anatomy)

Connective Tissue

binds and supports body structures

ex: bones, cartilage, and adipose tissue

Connective tissue is made of

collagenous, reticular, or elastin fibers

Loose Areola location

under the epithelia, forms lamina propria of mucus membranes, packages organs, surrounds capillaries

Loose areola function:

wraps / cushions organs, macrophages phagocytize bacteria, inflammation, holds tissue fluid

adipose tissue location

under skin, around kidneys and eyeballs, within abdomen and breasts

adipose tissue function

reserve food fuel, insulates against heat loss, supports / protects organs

reticular connective tissue location

found in lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow

reticular connective tissue function

fibers form a soft internal skeleton (stroma) that supports other cell types including white blood cells, mast cells, and macrophages

dense connective tissue types

dense regular, dense irregular, and elastic

dense regular connective tissue location

tendons and ligaments

dense regular tissue traits

parallel collagen fibers with few elastic fibers (one direction)

dense irregular connective tissue location

dermis of skin, fibrous capsules

dense irregular connective tissue traits

irregularly arranged collagen fibers with some elastic fibers (withstands tension in many different directions)

elastic connective tissue location

walls of large arteries, within certain ligaments associated with the vertebral column, within walls of bronchial tubes

elastic connective tissue function

allows recoil of tissue following stretching, maintains pulsatile flow of blood through arteries, aids passive recoil of lungs following inspiration