Sheet #9

Dr. Heba Kalbouneh

Dr. Heba Kalbouneh

Dr. Heba Kalbouneh

Elastic fibers
The main function of elastic fibers is to provide elasticity. In other words
these fibers are able to restore the original shape of the tissue after distortion.
(Think of an elastic fiber as a rubber band, stretched when a force is applied
and relaxed (back to its original shape) when the force is released.

- Elastic fibers can deteriorate (be damaged) by three factors:

1-The elasticity of tissue decreases with age, ex: This effect is easily
demonstrated by recruiting two volunteers, one youthful and one elderly.
Pinch up a bit of skin on the back of each person's hand and then watch how
quickly the skin returns to its original position when released
2- Sun exposure: the elastic fibers (like a rubber band) will lose their
resilience and elasticity when exposed to sunlight for a long period of time.
3-Could be digested by pancreatic enzyme elastase.

- Elastic fibers consist of individual microfibrils, which are embedded

in an amorphous matrix.

- Elastic fiber consists of 2 proteins:

90% of the fiber is elastin

10% of the fiber is microfibrils of fibrillin protein

- main properties of elastic fibers:

1- Elasticity: due to presence of elastin protein
2- Stability: due to the presence of fibrillin microfibrils.

- Remember that elastic fibers as well as other ECM components

are produced by the fibroblasts (with some exceptions according
to the site).
- Elastic fibers are found in all types of connective tissues but in
some tissues they are the predominant fibers and the tissue is
called elastic tissue examples:

1- certain types of ligaments contain elastic fibers mainly like the

ligamentum flavum (connects the vertebrae of the vertebral column), flavum
= yellow
Note: a ligament connects bone to bone and is usually (not always) made of
dense collagenous connective tissue.
2- certain types of cartilages are composed mainly of elastic fibers and so
they are called elastic cartilages, example epiglottis )‫ )لسان المزمار‬at the back
of the tongue that closes the respiratory tract so that food can enter the
esophagus.
3- another important location is in the wall of large arteries to ensure
recoiling of blood vessels after dilation.

- When elastic fibers are the predominant (large amount is present)

they appear yellow in fresh tissue (fresh specimen)

- Formation of elastic fibers

→Elastic fibers are produced by fibroblasts
1-what appears first are the microfibrils
2- elastin protein (characterized by being a coiled protein) deposits and
accumulates over these microfibrils.

Note: under EM elastin protein appears as amorphous material (with no

shape).

How do elastic fibers perform the elasticity function?

Elastic fibers are cross-linked by a special type of link called desmosine
When a certain force is applied to this elastic fiber the fiber is going to
stretch
When force is released the fiber will restore its original state.

What prevents elastic fiber in the stretched state from over stretching?
Collagen, there is always a certain amount of collagen fibers, even in elastic
tissues. There is a minimal amount of collagen fibers which prevents
overstretching or provides a mechanical stop.

- Can you see elastic fibers under LM?

Normally elastic fibers in tissues with small amount of them cannot be
visualized using H&E and we need special stains in order to view them
under the microscope.
H&E stain doesn’t view elastic fibers unless they are present in high
concentration.
3- Reticular Fibers:

Because of their different staining characteristics, reticular fibers were

initially thought to be completely different from collagen fibers. Cross-
striations with the same periodicity as in collagen fibers type 1 are visible
using electron microscopy. We now know that reticular fibers consist of
collagen - although the main type of tropocollagen found in reticular fibers,
type III, is different from that of the collagen fibers type 1

- Reticular fibers are very delicate and form fine networks (thin and
branching) instead of thick bundles

Location:
1- They are found mainly in the reticular lamina of the basement
membrane.
2- They are found in RES organs (Reticulo- endothelial system), which
consists of blood channels supported by connective tissue rich in reticular
fibers. These organs (bone marrow, liver, lymph nodes and spleen) have a
meshwork of reticular fibers which acts as the framework for these organs
(supportive stroma and supporting individual cells).

Why it was thought to be a different type of collagen fibers?

Because it is stained positively by the "PAS" stain, it has a high amount of
carbohydrates. and it is also stained positively by silver nitrate (there is a
method of staining called silver impregnation which is adding silver to the
tissue, because these fibers have high amount of carbohydrates, and these
carbohydrates are negatively charged, thus, they are going to interact with
the silver and cause its reduction, which results in deposition of silver inside
the tissue, so reticular fibers can be seen as black threads.

All the rest of collagen fibers types contain carbohydrates but in minimal
amount (about 1% only), thus, collagen fibers are considered glycoproteins,
but collagen fibers type three (reticular fibers) contain much higher amount
of carbohydrates (10% carbohydrates).

The cells that are specialized in secreting reticular fibers are called reticular
cells, which are modified fibroblasts.
 - The function of reticular fibers – they form the stroma of certain
organs (like lymph nodes and spleen) and support individual cells.
They also allow the movement of cells and molecules. Ex: lymphoid
tissue, like in lymph nodes, is filled with cells called lymphocytes. So,
these fibers form spaces in which these cells “lymphocytes " can move
freely within the tissue).

- The structures that are stained positively with silver are called
Argyrophilic, so the reticular fibers are called Argyrophilic (silver
loving)

Summary
Fibers of connective tissue:
1- Collagen fibers: the main function is to give strength. They appear as
pinkish bundles with H&E.

2- Elastic fibers: give elasticity. Usually we use special stains like Orcein
and resorcin (elastin stain).

3- Reticular: form a network. Delicate network (meshwork) of fibers, and

they provide the structure of certain organs.
- Its stained positively with PAS stain as well as Silver stain.

In any connective tissue we can find the 3 types of fibers, but the proportions
of these components differ.
If the tissue is composed mainly of collagen type 1, we call it collagenous
connective tissue.
If it's mainly composed of elastic fibers, we call it elastic connective
tissue.
If it's mainly composed of reticular, we call it reticular connective tissue.

All what have been explained earlier is the components of the connective
tissue. Now, we are going to consider the classification of it.
The classification of the connective tissue, the standard classification
scheme is based on composition

1- Connective Tissue Proper

o Loose Connective Tissue

o Dense Connective Tissue

1) Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

2) Dense Regular Connective Tissue

2- Special Connective Tissue (has similar characteristics of the

connective tissue)

Blood (cells and extracellular matrix with no fibers and stabilizing

macromolecules (gags), that’s why it's fluid), bone (cells and mineralized
extracellular matrix, that’s why it's hard), cartilage, reticular tissue, elastic
tissue, adipose tissue.

Note: when we refer to one type of special connective tissue, we refer to it

by its name.

3- Embryonic connective tissue

Connective tissue proper

This is the type that we talked about in the previous lectures.

- It contains the components that were mentioned (fibers, cells, ground
substance), with different proportions.
- When we say connective tissue we mean connective tissue proper.

*if the main component of tissue is collagen fibers then it is called dense
collagenous connective tissue

*if the main component is cells or ground substance (or equal proportions)
then it is called loose connective tissue
Loose connective tissue

Cells and/or ground substances predominate, but still there are some fibers
(thin or delicate fibers)

Function:

1. Diffusion (medium for transport) because it has a lot of spaces filled

with ground substance, Found around blood vessels, directly under
epithelium layer, highly vascular (high amount of capillaries in order for
the molecules to pass from the blood vessels to the epithelium and
backward.
2. Second line of defense below basement membrane, because it has
inflammatory cells (ex macrophages)
3. Fills spaces inside any organ

** Found in lamina propria of mucus membrane below epithelium (special

name for the loose connective tissue of mucus membranes=mucosa)

** It is a flexible structure, because it has high amount of ground substance,

high amount of water. The extracellular matrix is viscous.

** Not resistant to stress because it has low amount of collagen, flexible but
not very strong (the function is diffusion and defense).

** It has more regenerative power than dense connective tissue because it

has more cells and more vascularized

2-dense irregular connective tissue (collagenous)

*mostly composed of collagen fibers

*collagen fibers are arranged haphazardly (randomly)

Collagen fibers add strength to the connective tissue so it's very resistant to
compressional forces and tensile forces

*provides powerful resistance in many directions (according to the

orientation of the fibers)
*location:

1- Deeper layer of dermis of skin: below the loose connective tissue layer
(exposed to many forces in different directions)

First layer (superficial) of connective tissue is loose, the next layer (deeper)
is dense irregular connective tissue (to give strength for loose and
epithelium)

Epithelium of the skin is epidermis, and the connective tissue of the skin is
dermis

2- Organ capsules, capsules that surround any organ are whitish because
they have high amount of collagen but the orientation of the collagen fibers
is irregular.

3- submucosa (mucosa=mucous membrane= epithelium and thin layer of

loose connective tissue (lamina propria))

Dense regular connective tissue (collagenous)

*fibers arranged in bundles (oriented in certain direction)

*provides resistance to stress in one direction

*fewer cells and ground substance and most of the cells found are fibroblasts
not inflammatory cells

*ex;

Ligaments: connect bone to bone, usually are collagenous (whitish in color)

dense regular type of connective tissue except certain types of ligaments
(elastic/yellowish in color).

Tendons: connect muscle to bone.

Aponeurosis: flat tendon (sheet like) instead of cord like structure

-connective tissue has variable regeneration power according to the type;
loose has a higher regeneration power than dense connective tissue because
it has higher amount of cells and capillaries in comparison with dense
connective tissue (fibers and little amount of cells), so if a tendon gets
injured usually the regeneration is poor because it's less vascularized, and
repair of damaged tendons is very slow

Reticular tissue
• consists of reticular cells (modified fibroblasts) and a network of
reticular fibers formed by them

• forms the structural framework in which the cells of the organ are
suspended

• in the liver, bone marrow, lymph nodes and the spleen

Embryonic connective tissue:

The connective tissue that presents in embryo.
✓ Embryonic connective tissue: It contains star or spindle shaped
mesenchymal cell (stem cells), gel- like ground substance with fine
fibers (more ground substance than fibers). If you go back to embryo
you will see three germinal layers; ectoderm, mesoderm and
endoderm
✓ The mesoderm differentiates into a tissue called mesenchyme or
embryonic connective tissue
✓ Mesenchyme forms the filling material of the early embryo and it is
the common origin of all other connective tissue types
✓ With fetal development, mesenchyme forms the connective tissue
between and within the developing tissues and organs

-Remember that epithelium is derived from the three germinal layers which
is a characteristic for it, while connective tissue is derived from mesenchyme
(or mesoderm).
-The mesenchymal cells of this tissue (mesenchyme) can form bone, blood
or connective tissue proper …….etc. So different types of connective tissue
are produced by the mesenchymal cells.
Mesenchymal tissue or embryonic tissue is a tissue found only in embryo
while after birth we can’t find mesenchymal tissue because all mesenchymal
tissues have differentiated into different types of connective tissue. EXCEPT
in two places; in the pulp of the tooth (be careful we talk now about a tissue
not individual stem cells) and the umbilical cord
- Mesencymal cells can differentiate into osteoblasts which form the
bone or fibroblasts which form the connective tissue proper or
adipoblasts which form the adipose tissue or………etc. So these cells
are stem cells which can differentiate into many types of connective
tissue cells (pluripotent).
- Stem cells mean undifferentiated cells that can become a variety of
cells
- The extra cellular matrix of mesenchymal c.t contains more ground
substance than fibers (gel like structure because it has large amount of
hyaluronic acid, chondriotin sulfate (sulfated GAG) and water)
- Mesenchymal stem cells are characterized by having a little amount of
cytoplasm with fine processes and large oval or rounded nuclei.
- The mesenchymal c.t of the umbilical cord is called also mucoid
connective tissue (also called Wharton’s jelly ), because its ground
substance is mucous like, it’s made up of mucopolysaccharides
(hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate)
- Mucoid connective tissue forms a compliant cushion around the
vessels of the umbilical cord

Umbilical cord banking simply involves collecting blood left in newborn's

umbilical cord and storing it for future medical use (cord blood and/or
tissue) (regenerative medicine).