HISTO LAB

M7.1 CONNECTIVE TISSUE

Lee-an Anayon | August 15, 2022

predominantly from the mesoderm the

ectodermal neural press is also known to give
TOPIC OUTLINE rise to some mesenchyme cells.
I. CONNECTIVE IV. TYPES OF CT IV. TYPES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUES
TISSUE ● Loose/Areolar
II. CONNECTIVE VS ● Dense 1. Loose/Areolar
EPITHELIAL ● Embryonic 2. Dense
III. MESENCHYME ● Spcialized a. Regular
b. Irregular
I. CONNECTIVE TISSUES 3. Embryonic
● Essentially provide a matrix that supports and a. Mucoid/Mucous
physically connects other tissues and cells b. Mesenchyme
together to form the organs of the body 4. Specialized Connective Tissue
a. Reticular
● The interstitial fluid of connective tissue gives b. Adipose
metabolic support to the cell as the medium for c. Bone
the diffusion of nutrients and waste products d. Blood
e. Cartilage
● Unlike the other tissue types namely epithelial,
muscle, and nerve which consist mainly of cells
the major constituent of the connective tissue is 1. LOOSE/ AREOLAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE
the extracellular matrix which consists of
different combinations of protein fibers and
ground substance.

● The variety of connective tissue types in the

body reflects differences in composition and
amount of cells fibers and ground substance
which together are responsible for the
remarkable structural-functional and pathologic
diversity of connective tissue

FUNCTIONS: ➔ Very common among in our body and generally

● Provide SUPPORT, ANCHOR, supports epithelial tissue and the
and CONNECT various parts of the body preponderance of cells are the fibroblasts and
the propounded fibers in arctic collagen
BASIC STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS: ➔ Found all over the body where filling material is
1. Cells needed surrounding small blood vessels of the
2. Extracellular Matrix body
a. Fibers ➔ Supports epithelial tissue
b. Ground substances ➔ Numerous Fibroblasts and Collagen
➔ Filling material, surrounds blood vessels
II. CONNECTIVE TISSUE VS. EPITHELIAL TISSUE
2. DENSE CONNECTIVE TISSUE
CONNECTIVE TISSUE ➔ Dense connective tissue in general are tissues
● More intercellular material that are adapted to offer stress resistance and
● Fibers interspersed among the cells protection
● (+) Amorphous Ground Substance ➔ They differ from the loose or the areolar
● Supports, Anchors, and Connect Organs connective tissue because they contain fluid
cells and the predominance of fiber elements
EPITHELIAL TISSUE over the cells and ground substance
● Less Intercellular material
● Cells are closely packed together A. DENSE IRREGULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE
● (-) Ground Substance - Collagen fiber bundles appear
● Provides a lining surface randomly interwoven w/o definite
orientation
III. MESENCHYME - Little Ground substance
● All connective tissues originate from the - Fewer cells
embryonic mesenchyme- A tissue developing
mainly from the middle layer of the embryo
which is the mesoderm.
● Consist largely of viscous ground substance
with a few collagen fibers although

Trans Maker: Palco, E.

Editor: *Last Name, F.I.* | 1
 HISTO LAB
M7.1 CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Lee-an Anayon | August 15, 2022

4. SPECIALIZED CONNECTIVE TISSUES

A. RETICULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE

➔ Reticular Fibers-type III collagen
➔ Reticular cells (specialized fibroblasts)

FOUND IN:
● Dermis
● Organ Capsules
● Submucosal layer of GIT

B. DENSE REGULAR CONNECTIVE TISSUE FOUND IN:

- Collagen Fiber bundles appear ● Bone marrow
definite pattern ● Liver
- Fibers and Fibroblasts aligned parallel ● Adrenal Gland
to resist prolonged and repeated ● Lymphoid Organ
stress exerted in the same direction
B. ADIPOSE TISSUE
➔ Storage depots for neutral fats
➔ Regulate metabolic activity
➔ Adipocytes-Fat Cells (preponderance
cells)
➔ Reticular and Collagen Fibers (prepunder
fibers)

FOUND IN:
● Ligaments
● Tendons
● Aponeuroses

3. EMBRYONIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE

➔ Abundant ground substance “jelly-like“
appearance
➔ Sparse collagen fibers LOCATED AT:
➔ Scattered fibroblasts ● Fat
➔ Wharton’s Jelly (umbilical cord) and dental pulp ● Omentum
● Mesentery
● Inguinal
● Axillary
● Cervical regions

BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE

- Help mediate this tissue’s principal function of
heat production and warming the blood.
- Constitutes two to five percent of the newborn
body weight located mainly in the back, neck,
and shoulders but it is greatly reduced during
childhood and adolescence.
- In adults, it is found only in scattered areas,
especially around the kidneys, adrenal glands,
aorta, and the mediastinum.
- The color of brown fat is due to both the very
abundant mitochondria scattered among the
lipid droplets of fat cells and a large number of
blood capillaries in the tissue.

Trans Maker: Palco, E.

Editor: *Last Name, F.I.* | 2
 HISTO LAB
M7.1 CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Lee-an Anayon | August 15, 2022

- The brown adipocytes contain many small lipid C. BONE

inclusions and are therefore called ➔ Hardest connective tissue
multilocular-globular. ➔ Protects body organs, supports skeletal
- Small lipid droplets, abundant mitochondria and muscles
rich vascular structure. ➔ Osteocytes- cells trapped in lacunae
➔ Canaliculi- contain blood vessels and
connections to bigger canals
➔ Worth mentioning in the bone is the
development of Osteogenesis.

WHITE ADIPOSE TISSUE

- Specialized for relatively long-term energy
storage.
OSTEOGENESIS
- The adipocytes of white adipose tissue are
- Development of Osteogenesis which occurs by
spherical when isolated but are polyhedral
one of two processes:
when closely packed inside.
1. Intramembranous ossification - the
- When completely developed a white adipocyte
osteoblasts differentiate directly from
is very large between 50 to 150 micrometers in
the mesenchyme and begin creating
diameter and contains a single huge droplet of
osteoid.
liquid filling almost the entire cell.
2. Endochondral ossification - the
- With a single large droplet of triglycerides,
pre-existing matrix of hyaline cartilage
white adipocytes are also called Unilocular.
is eroded and invaded by osteoblasts,
- Xylene - Lipid is removed from the cells by this
which then begin osteoid production.
solvent or other solvents used in routine
histological techniques.
D. CARTILAGE
- Unilocular adipocytes are often empty in
standard-like microscopy
- The cells are sometimes said to have a signet
ring appearance with the lipid droplet
displacing and flattening the materials against
the cell membrane.
◆ This membrane and the thin rim of
cytoplasm that remains after the
solution of the stored lipid may shrink,
collapse or rupture distorting the cell
and tissue structure.

● Extracellular matrix - collagen and elastic

fibers
● Chondroblasts - secrets fibers and ground
substances
● Chondrocytes - mature chondroblasts,
isolated in Lacunae
● Avascular unlike bone

Three types of cartilage in the body:

1. Hyaline Cartilage
2. Elastic Cartilage
3. Fibrocartilage

Similarities and differences upon routine H and E

staining of hyaline and elastic cartilages:

Trans Maker: Palco, E.

Editor: *Last Name, F.I.* | 3
 HISTO LAB
M7.1 CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Lee-an Anayon | August 15, 2022

1. Hyaline Cartilage
- Chondroblasts are seen in the cells

2. Elastic Cartilage
- We use another type of staining which
gives rise to the presence of elastic,
which is the darker stain comprising
the entirety of the tissue itself
- Elastic cartilage and hyaline cartilage
are essentially the same up until the
time that we use another special stain,
the elastic staining to visualize elastic
fibers; hence, you will be able to
differentiate elastic from hyaline
cartilage.

3. Fibrocartilage
- Another (blue) stain is used to
visualize numerous collagen fibers

Trans Maker: Palco, E.

Editor: *Last Name, F.I.* | 4