Connective Tissue: The Living Fabric

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the classes, structure, cell types, fibers, and functions of connective tissues from the lecture notes.

Connective Tissue

The most abundant and widely distributed primary tissue type in the body; derived from mesenchyme and functions in binding, support, protection, insulation, and transporting substances.

Mesenchyme

The common embryonic tissue from which all types of connective tissue are derived.

Extracellular Matrix

Non-living substance produced and secreted by connective tissue cells to their exterior, composed of ground substance and fibers.

Ground Substance

The unstructured material or 'glue' that fills the space between cells and fibers, composed of water, adhesion proteins, and polysaccharides.

Collagen Fibers

White fibers that are the most abundant fiber type in connective tissue, providing high tensile strength.

Elastic Fibers

Yellow connective tissue fibers capable of stretching and recoiling.

Reticular Fibers

Fine collagen fibers forming delicate, branched networks that construct the internal skeleton or stroma of organs.

Connective Tissue Proper

One of the four main classes of connective tissue, subdivided into loose connective tissue and dense connective tissue.

Loose Connective Tissue

A softer subclass of connective tissue proper characterized by fewer fibers and a gel-like matrix; serves as universal packing material and includes areolar, adipose, and reticular tissues.

Areolar Connective Tissue

A loose connective tissue featuring a gel-like matrix with all three fiber types and cells including fibroblasts, macrophages, mast cells, and white blood cells; cushions organs and surrounds capillaries.

Fibroblasts

The primary cell type found in connective tissue proper responsible for secreting the ground substance and fibers.

Adipose Tissue

A loose connective tissue with a sparse matrix and closely packed adipocytes; functions to provide reserve food fuel, insulate against heat loss, and support and protect organs.

Adipocytes

Fat cells that store lipid reserves, characterized by a large fat droplet that pushes the nucleus against the cell edge.

Reticular Connective Tissue

A loose connective tissue consisting of a network of reticular fibers in loose ground substance; located in lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes, bone marrow, and the spleen.

Stroma

The soft internal skeleton of lymphoid organs formed by reticular fibers that supports white blood cells, mast cells, and macrophages.

Dense Connective Tissue

A subclass of connective tissue proper dominated by collagen fibers that resists tension; subdivided into dense regular, dense irregular, and elastic tissues.

Dense Regular Connective Tissue

Connective tissue composed primarily of parallel collagen fibers and fibroblasts; withstands great tensile stress pulling in one direction, forming tendons and ligaments.

Tendons

Cords of dense regular connective tissue that attach muscles to bones or to other muscles.

Ligaments

Bands of dense regular connective tissue that bind bones together at joints.

Cartilage

A flexible, avascular, and aneural class of connective tissue that resists compression; includes hyaline, elastic, and fibrocartilage.

Chondroblasts

Immature cartilage cells actively engaged in producing the extracellular matrix.

Chondrocytes

Mature cartilage cells that lie embedded within small cavities called lacunae.

Lacunae

Small cavities or chambers in the matrix of cartilage and bone that contain mature cells (chondrocytes or osteocytes).

Hyaline Cartilage

Cartilage with an amorphous but firm matrix and an imperceptible network of collagen fibers; covers bone ends, forms costal cartilages, and supports respiratory passages.

Bone (Osseous Tissue)

A hard, calcified, and highly vascularized connective tissue containing collagen fibers and osteocytes in lacunae; functions in support, protection, mineral storage, and hematopoiesis.

Osteocytes

Mature bone cells that reside inside lacunae within the calcified matrix.

Hematopoiesis

The biological process of blood cell formation that takes place inside bone marrow.

Blood (Vascular Tissue)

A fluid connective tissue consisting of formed elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) suspended within plasma; functions to transport gases, nutrients, and wastes.

Plasma

The non-living, fluid extracellular matrix of blood in which cellular elements are suspended.

Leukocytes

White blood cells, such as neutrophils and lymphocytes, found within blood and connective tissues that defend against infection.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells found in blood that are specialized for the transport of respiratory gases.