Connective Tissue Flashcards

Connective Tissue

Most abundant tissue in your body, but found in varying amounts in different organs

Ex. Skin has a lot, brain has very little

Connective Tissue Functions

• Binding and Supporting

• Protecting

• Insulating

• Storing Fuel

• Transporting Substances

Ground Substance

Watery, unstructured material that fills the spaces between cells

Fibers

Proteins; 3 types: collagen, elastic, reticular

Collagen Fibers

made of the fibrous protein collagen; extremely tough; provide strength

Elastic Fibers

made of the protein elastin; stretch and bounce back like rubber bands

Reticular Fibers

Made of thinner and shorter collagen fibers; branch to form nets that support your organs

Loose Connective Tissue

Many spaces between the fibers of the matrix

Dense Connective Tissue

Few spaces between fibers of the matrix; also called fibrous CT

Loose CT Types

• Areolar

• Reticular

• Adipose

Dense CT Types

• Regular

• Irregular

• Elastic

Areolar Tissue

• Most common type of CT in the body

• Matrix: gel-like ground substance: contains all three fiber types

• Function: serves as packing material that wraps and cushions organs

• Location: under epithelial tissue and around organs

Reticular Tissue

• Matrix: gel-like ground substance, but only has reticular fibers

• Function: forms a soft skeleton that supports other cells

• Location: Lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow

Adipose Tissue

• Matrix: very little matrix; made of tightly packs adipocytes (fat cells)

• Function: energy reserves, insulates body heat, and cushions organs

• Location: under skin, around kidneys and heart

Regular Tissue

• Matrix: closely packed, parallel collagen fibers

• Strong when pulled in one direction

• Location: tendons and ligaments

• Function: tendons connect muscle to bones/muscles; ligaments connect bones to bones

Irregular Tissue

• Matrix: randomly arranged collagen fibers

• Function: strong when pulled in many directions

• Location: dermis, fibrous coverings that surround organs and joints

Elastic Tissue

• Matrix: high number of elastic fibers

• Function: allows tissue to bounce back after stretching

• Location: walls of arteries, ligaments connecting vertebrae, lungs