INTRODUCTION TO HISTOLOGY: CONNECTIVE AND ADIPOSE

CONNECTIVE TISSUE

● Maintain the form of organs throughout the body

● Provide a matrix that supports and physically connects
other tissues and cells together in organs
● Interstitial fluid of connective tissue gives metabolic
support to cells as the medium for diffusion of nutrients
and waste products
● Originate from embryonic mesenchyme
● Major constituent of connective tissue is the extracellular
matrix (ECM)
❖ Protein fibers (such as collagens and elastic CELLS OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE
fibers)
❖ Ground substance - complex of anionic, 1 ) FIBROBLAST
hydrophilic proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans ● for extracellular fibers and ground substances
(GAGs), and multi-adhesive glycoproteins (laminin, ● Produce and maintain most of the tissue’s
fibronectin, and others) extracellular components
● Synthesize and secrete collagen and elastin, as
CONNECTIVE TISSUE VS EPITHELIAL TISSUE well as the GAGs, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins
● Active fibroblast - nucleus is large, ovoid,
euchromatic, and has a prominent nucleolus
Connective Epithelial ● Quiescent fibroblast “fibrocyte”- usually
spindle-shaped and contains a darker, more
heterochromatic nucleus
● large amount of ● many cells
ECM material ● tightly packed
separating widely ● no blood vessels
scattered cells
● significant network
of blood vessels

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 ● Monocytes and macrophages are the same cell at
different stages of maturation
● Macrophage-like cells have been given different
names in different organs

2 ) ADIPOCYTES
● storage of neutral fats
● Produce and maintain most of the tissue’s
extracellular components
● Large, mesenchymally derived cells
● Specialized for cytoplasmic storage of lipid as
neutral fats, or less commonly for the production of
heat.
● Cushion and insulate the skin and other organs

3 ) MACROPHAGES
● phagocytosis of ECM components and debris
● antigen processing and presentation to immune
cells
● secretion of growth factors, cytokines, and other
agents
● phagocytic ability and specialize in turnover of
protein fibers and removal of dead cells, tissue
debris, or other particulate material
● Measures between 10 and 30 μm in diameter and
has an eccentrically located, oval or
kidney-shaped nucleus.
● Referred to as “histiocytes”
● Irregular surface with pleats, protrusions, and
indentations
● Macrophages derive from bone marrow
precursor cells that divide, producing
monocytes
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4 ) MAST CELLS
● pharmacologically active molecules (eg. histamine)
● Oval or irregularly shaped connective tissue cells,
between 7 and 20 μm in diameter
● Cytoplasm is filled with basophilic secretory
granules
● Nucleus is centrally situated
● Abundant secretory granules
● Roles in the local inflammatory response, innate
immunity, and tissue repair.

5 ) PLASMA CELLS

● B-lymphocyte–derived, antibodyproducing cells

● Large, ovoid cells have basophilic cytoplasm due
to their richness in RER
● Nucleus is generally spherical but eccentrically
placed
● Clock-face appearance

MAST CELLS: SECRETORY GRANULES

Heparin ● sulfated GAG that acts

locally as an
anticoagulant

Histamine ● promotes increased

vascular permeability
and smooth muscle
contraction

Serine Proteases ● activate various

mediators of
inflammation

Eosinophil and ● which attract those

neutrophil leukocytes
chemotactic factors

Cytokines ● polypeptides directing

activities of leukocytes
and other cells of the
immune system

Phospholipid ● precursors for conversion to

prostaglandins,
leukotrienes, and other
important lipid mediators of
the inflammatory response.

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6 ) LEUKOCYTES
● Wandering cells in connective tissue
● Leave blood via diapedesis
● Increases greatly during inflammation

7 ) COLLAGEN
● Most abundant protein in the human body
● Strong and resistant to normal shearing and
tearing forces
● Types:
❖ Fibrillar collagens, notably collagen types I,
II, and III
❖ Sheet-forming collagens such as type IV
collagen
❖ Linking/anchoring collagens

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 9 ) ELASTIC FIBERS
● Form sparse networks interspersed with
collagen bundles in many organs
● Have physical properties to be stretched or
distended and return to their original shape
● Composite of fibrillin microfibrils embedded in a
larger mass of crosslinked elastin.

10 ) GROUND SUBSTANCE
● Highly hydrated, transparent, complex mixture of
macromolecules, principally of 3 classes:
❖ glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)
❖ proteoglycans
❖ multiadhesive glycoproteins

● Fills the space between cells and fibers in

connective tissue and, because it is viscous:
● acts as both a lubricant and a barrier to the
penetration of invaders

8 ) RETICULAR FIBERS
● Consist mainly of collagen type III
● Characteristically stained black by impregnation
with silver salts - termed argyrophilic
● Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive
● Occur in the reticular lamina of basement
membranes and surround adipocytes, smooth
muscle and nerve fibers, and small blood vessels

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 ● GROUND SUBSTANCE: ● GROUND SUBSTANCE: PROTEOGLYCANS
GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS ❖ Composed of a core protein to which are
❖ Also called mucopolysaccharides covalently attached various numbers and
❖ Long polysaccharides consisting of combinations of the sulfated GAGs
repeating disaccharide units, usually a ❖ Synthesized on RER, mature in the
uronic acid and a hexosamine Golgi, where the GAG side chains are
❖ Hexosamine can be glucosamine or added
galactosamine ❖ Example: Aggrecan, Decorin, Syndecan
❖ Uronic acid can be glucuronic or iduronic
acid
❖ Largest and most ubiquitous GAG is
hyaluronic acid
❖ Allowing diffusion of molecules and
lubricating various organs and joints
❖ 4 major GAGs found in proteoglycans
★ dermatan sulfate
★ chondroitin sulfates
★ keratan sulfate
★ heparan sulfate

● GROUND SUBSTANCE: MULTIADHESIVE

GLYCOPROTEINS
❖ Large molecules with branched
oligosaccharide chains and have
important roles in the adhesion
❖ Multiple binding sites for cell surface
receptors (integrins)
❖ Laminin - provides adhesion for epithelial
and other cells, with binding sites for
integrins, type IV collagen, and specific
proteoglycans
❖ Fibronectin - As binding sites for
collagens and certain GAGs, and forms
insoluble fibrillar networks throughout
connective tissue
❖ Provides specific binding sites for
integrins and is important both for cell
adhesion and cellular migration through
the ECM

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 12 ) CONNECTIVE TISSUE PROPER
❖ Integrin - act as matrix receptors for specific
sequences on laminin, fibronectin, some collagens,
and certain other ECM proteins
❖ Cytoplasmic portions of integrins associate with
the peripheral membrane proteins talin and
vinculin, which together bind actin filaments
11 ) INTERSTITIAL FLUID
● Ion composition similar to that of blood plasma
● Contains plasma proteins of low molecular
weight that pass through the thin walls of capillaries
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● Loose Connective Tissue
❖ Also called areolar tissue
❖ It comprises a thick layer (the lamina
propria) beneath the epithelial lining of
the digestive system and fills the
spaces between muscle and nerve fibers
❖ Contains cells, fibers, and ground
substance in roughly equal parts
❖ Flexible and not very resistant to stress
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 ● Dense Connective Tissue
❖ Offer stress resistance and protection
❖ Same components found in loose
connective tissue, but with fewer cells and
a clear predominance of collagen fibers
over ground substance
❖ Less flexible and far more resistant to
stress than loose connective tissue
● Dense Irregular Connective Tissue
❖ Bundles of collagen fibers appear
randomly interwoven, with no definite
orientation
❖ Collagen fibers form a tough
threedimensional network, providing
resistance to stress from all directions
❖ Closely associated with loose
connective tissue
● Dense Regular Connective Tissue
❖ Type I collagen bundles are arranged
according to a definite pattern, with
fibers and fibroblasts aligned in parallel
❖ For resistance to prolonged or repeated
stresses exerted in the same direction
❖ Ex. Tendons and ligaments

● Reticular Connective Tissue

❖ Fibers of type III collagen form a
delicate 3D network that supports various
types of cells
❖ Fibrous network is produced by modified
fibroblasts called reticular cells
❖ Provides a framework with specialized
microenvironments for cells in
hemopoietic tissue and some lymphoid
organs

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 ● EMBRYONIC CONNECTIVE TISSUE: MUCOID
TISSUE
❖ Mucoid or Mucous Connective Tissue
❖ Found mainly in the umbilical cord and
fetal organs
❖ With abundant ground substance
composed chiefly of hyaluronic acid,
mucoid tissue is jellylike with sparse
collagen fibers and scattered fibroblasts
❖ Principal component of the umbilical cord,
where it is referred to as Wharton’s jelly.

ADIPOSE TISSUE

● Located throughout the body

● Represents 15%-20% of the body weight
● Storage depots for neutral fats
● Regulators of the body’s overall energy metabolism
● Helps thermally insulate the body
● Fills up spaces between other tissues and helps
cushion and keep some organs in place
● Leptin regulates energy homeostasis and is exclusively
secreted by the adipose tissue.
● 2 Types:
❖ White Adipose Tissue
❖ Brown Adipose Tissue

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1 ) WHITE ADIPOSE TISSUE 2 ) BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE
● Are called unilocular ● 2% to 5% of the newborn body weight:
● Long-term energy storage ● located mainly
● Spherical when isolated ❖ back
● polyhedral when closely packed ❖ neck
● Each cell is very large, between 50 and 150 μm in ❖ shoulders
diameter, and contains a single huge droplet of lipid ● In adults it is found only in scattered areas,
that fills almost the entire cell especially around the kidneys, adrenal glands,
● Signet-ring appearance aorta, and mediastinum.
● Brown fat is due the very abundant mitochondria
● Contain many small lipid inclusions and are
therefore called multilocular
● Help mediate this tissue’s principal function of heat
production.
● Polygonal and generally smaller than cells of white
adipose tissue
● Cytoplasm contains a great number of lipid droplets
of various sizes and nuclei are often centrally
located
● Adipocytes of brown fat are often closely packed

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