Connective Tissue

histology

Ma. Minda Luz Meneses- Manuguid,

 General Considerations
Connective tissue is any tissue that
binds, connects, surrounds, cushions,
supports other tissues
All connective tissue is derived from
the Mesoderm
 Viscosity & tensile strength vary
among connective tissues
Connective Tissue Components
 Resident Cells : fixed /  Extracellular Fibers
permanent  Collagen,
 fibroblasts,
 Elastic,
 mesenchymal cells,
 histiocytes,
 Reticular,
 mast cells,
 Fibrinogen (fibrin) in
 parenchymal cells
Blood
 Immigrant/Wandering Cells
 Amorphous ground
substance:
 neutrophils,
 lymphocytes,  proteoglycans,
 plasma cells,  glycosaminoglycans,
 other WBC; RBC  glycoproteins,
 mineralized in bone
 Connective Tissue Cells
Fibroblasts- fusiform or stellate ;
secrete extracellular matrix glyco-
proteins & proteoglycans;
-produce collagen &
fibronectin, facilitating wound healing
 Connective tissue cells
 Macrophages / Phagocytes – any of
the following : (MPS)
 Bone marrow stem cell; monocyte
precursors
 Monocytes of the blood
 Histiocytes/ fixed macrophages
 Kupffer cells (liver)
 PAMs /dust cells (lung)
 Microglia / mesoglia (NS) monocyte
 Osteoclasts (bone)
 Macrophages lining serous cavities
 cOnnective tissue cells
 Mast cells- equivalent to blood
basophils, with cytoplasmic
metachromatic granules containing
histamine, heparin, SRS-A, ECF
 Connective tissue cells
Mesenchymal cells- primitive,
pluripotent cells that can differentiate
into fibroblasts / parenchymal cells
 Connective tissue cells
 Parenchymal cells :
 Chondrocytes
 Osteocytes
 Erythrocytes & Leukocytes
 Adipocytes
 Connective tissue cells
 Migrant/Wandering cells:
 RBC
 WBC
 Connective Tissue Fibers
 Collagen
 most abundant nonaqueous component component of
c.t. matrix; composed of three polypeptide chains
bound to superhelix tropocollagen units
 contains Glycine, Glutamate, Aspartate, Proline,
Arginine, Lysine, Leucine, Hydroxyproline &
Hydroxylysine
 synthesized by fibroblasts
 synthesis requires vitamin C & proteins
 gross : white; microscopic: dark pink (eosinophilic)
 Connective tissue fibers
 Collagen –
 type I: bone, tendon, skin, cornea
 type II: cartilage, cornea, vitreous body
 type III: fetal dermis, blood vessels, within
organs
 type IV: basement membranes
 type V: around blood vessels & smooth
muscles
 Connective tissue fibers
 Reticulin – same structure as collagen,
with a rich coat of glycoprotein
- gross appearance: white
- microscopic: pink w/ H & E;
black w/ silver salts (argyrophilic)
- found as a reticulum
surrounding lymphoid tissues,
e.g. Lymph node; spleen; liver;
bone matrix (Reticular tissue)
 Connective tissue fibers
Elastin – glycoprotein rich in glycine,
proline, valine; contains desmosine &
isodesmosine
- gross: yellow
- microscopic: pink w/ H & E;
black with special stains- Verhoeff’s,
Weigert’s, van Gieson, Orcein
 Connective tissue fibers
 Fibrin –
 present in blood as
the “potential” fiber
Fibrinogen;
 becomes the actual
fiber Fibrin upon
formation of a
thrombus (blood
clot)
 c.t. Extracellular fibers
 Collagen
 Elastin
 Reticulin
 Fibrin
 Connective tissue Matrix
 proteoglycans- protein backbone +
glycosaminoglycans:
 Hyaluronic acid- in loose connective tissues,
vitreous humor, cartilage, skin, synovial fluid,
Wharton’s jelly
 Chondroitin-4-sulfate- cartilage, bone, skin,
cornea, notochord, aorta; -6- umbilical cord
 Dermatan sulfate- skin, blood vessels,
tendons, ligaments, lung connective
tissue, fibrocartilage
 Keratan sulfate- cornea, cartilage, nucleus
pulposus, annulus fibrosus
 Heparan sulfate- basement membranes, reticular
tissue, aorta, lung, liver
Connective tissue Classification
 Connective Tissue Proper :
 General:
1. Loose (areolar)- lamina propria; mesentery
2. Dense (fibrous)
a) regular- tendon, ligament, aponeurosis, corneal
stroma
b) irregular- dermis, periosteum, organ capsules
 Special
1. Reticular- around lymphoid organs
2. Adipose- subcutaneous fat, surrounding organs
3. embryonic/Wharton’s jelly- umbilical cord
 GENERAL
CONNECTIVE TISSUE PROPER

Loose Areolar

Dense regular

Dense irregular
 General
Connective tissue proper
 loose (areolar)
e.g. Lamina propria
General Connective tissue
proper
 Dense regular:
 Tendon
 Aponeurosis
 Ligament

 Dense irregular
 Dermis
 Periosteum
 Special
connective tissue proper

Adipose

Reticular
Specialized Connective tissue

 Cartilage

 Bone

 Dentin, Enamel

 Blood
Specialized connective tissue
 Cartilage
Specialized connective tissue
 Bone
Specialized connective tissue
 Dentin & Enamel
Specialized connective tissue
 Blood
Specialized connective tissue
 Blood
Thank you very much !