SPECIALISED

CONNECTIVE TISSUE
OBJECTIVES

At the end of lecture ,the student should be able to describe:

• The General properties of specialised connective tissue (adipose,

cartilage and bone)

• Function and location of the different SCTs

• Different types of connective tissues

• Applied anatomy associated with connective tissue

ADIPOSE TISSUE

• Adipose tissue is a specialised Loose connective tissue

populated mainly by lipid accumulating adipocytes

• There are two types of adipose tissue;

oWhite Adipose Tissue
oBrown Adipose Tissue
Functions are to;
• Contribute to thermal insulation
– Important for temperature regulation
• Fill spaces between structures/protects
– Between organs
– Aids fit of valves in heart
– Pads of fat protect heels, palms
• Acts as the largest repository of energy in the body in the
form of Triglycerides
White adipose

1) White (20--‐25% of total body weight)

• Superficial depot (subcutaneous)

• Visceral fat depots (peri-renal, mesenteric)

• Bone marrow

• Breast tissue
White adipose tissue is hormone responsive to

• Insulin

• Glucocorticoids

• Growth Hormone

• Noradrenaline
• White adipocytes are unilocular cells

– they have a large lipid droplet surrounded by thin cytoplasm

– Flattened, eccentric nuclei.

– Fat stored within the cell as triglycerides and cholesterol

ester.

– Secrete hormones or adipocytokines e.g leptin

BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE
• These are multilocular cells
• Have a Polygonal shape
• Contain Considerable cytoplasm
• Scattered lipid droplets within the cytoplasm
• Round centrally located nucleus
• Brown colour from presence of mitochondria
• Used for heat generation
• Brown adipose can dissipate energy as heat

• Constitutes about 25% of birth weight in neonates

• In adults, brown adipose tissue is lost except in a few areas

of the body ie. suprarenal
CARTILAGE
• Connective tissue specialised for support
• Is predominantly composed of a matrix consisting of ground
substance and fibres. In general, the functions of cartilage
include:
• Providing support with both elasticity and firmness.
• Forming the earliest skeleton in the foetus.
• Permits the elongation of long bones.
General Properties
• All the three types of cartilage are avascular and get their nutrition
by means of diffusion from surrounding connective tissue
capillaries or by means of synovial fluid from joint cavities.

• Cartilage have no lymphatic vessels or nerves.

• All types of cartilage except articular and fibro cartilage, are

covered by a sheath of dense connective tissue the perichondrium.
Perichondrium

• Cartilage is covered externally by a dense connective tissue sheath

known as perichondrium except articular cartilage and fibro cartilage.

• Has two layers- outer fibrous layer (vascular) and inner chondrogenic
layer (cellular)

• Has cells which can regrow cartilage to some extent if the cartilage is
damaged.
 Components of Cartilage
• Has three components:
1.Cartilage Cells
a) Chondrocyte. b) Chondroblast .
2. Fibers
a) Collagen type I and II. b) Elastic (depending upon the type of
cartilage).
3. Ground Substance
a) Hyaluronic acid b) Proteoglycan c) Glycoprotein.
Types of Cartilage

• Variation in the composition of matrix components produce

three types of cartilages adapted to local biochemical needs.

1. Hyaline cartilage

2. Elastic cartilage

3. Fibro cartilage
Hyaline cartilage

• Most abundant of the three types of cartilage

• Has perichondrium - a fibrous strip bordering the cartilage,

composed mostly of collagenous fibres. Tends to be more
cellular next to the cartilage.

• The chondroblasts arise from this layer.

• In young cartilage, the chondrocytes occur singly. They are
large, spherical cells.

• In older tissue, the chondrocytes are clustered in groups of 2,

4 or 8 and appear compressed.

• The matrix is a product of the chondroblasts, as well as the

fibroblasts of the perichondrium.
Occurrence

•  Ventral ends of ribs and the articular ends of long bones.

• Found in the nose, larynx, trachea and bronchi.

• Surrounding the opening of the external auditory meatus.

• Makes up the foetal skeleton

Chondrocytes in hyaline

• They appear in a group of up to eight cells, called isogenous

group, originating from mitotic division of single
Chondrocyte.

• The chondrocytes are located in cavities within the matrix

called lacunae.

• The peripheral zone around the groups is called territorial

matrix.
Matrix
• Consists of Fiber + ground substance
• It has primarily type II collagen which is in the form of fibrins.
• The ground substance contains chondroitin 4 and 6 sulfate,
and keratin sulfate in the proteoglycans.
• The hyaluronic acid binds to these proteoglycan and is
responsible for high content of solvation water.
• Chondronectin is the glycoprotein which adheres
chondrocytes to matrix collagen
ELASTIC CARTILAGE

• Fresh elastic cartilage has yellowish color because of the presence

of elastin.

• It is identical to hyaline cartilage but in addition to collagen type II

it contains an abundant network of fine elastic fibers making it
more flexible.

• It also posses perichondrium.

Occurrence

•  Found in the external ear (auricle) and in the auditory tube.

• Epiglottis

• In the larynx forming the corniculate, cuneiform and

arytenoid cartilages.
FIBROCARTILAGE

• It has characteristics intermediate between those of dense

connective tissue and hyaline cartilage.
• Always associated with dense connective tissue and the
border area between the two tissues is not clear cut.
• Chondrocytes appears singly or in isogenous groups arranged
in rows.
• Matrix is acidophilic because it contains large amount of
collagen type I.
• No identifiable perichondrium.
Occurrence
• It occurs where a tough support or great tensile strength is required.

• Intervertebral discs (annulus fibrosus).

• Pubic symphysis

• Insertions of some tendons and ligaments.

• It never occurs alone but merges with neighbouring hyaline cartilage

or fibrous tissue.
 BONE

• Main constituent of the adult skeleton

• Supports fleshy structures, protects vital organs and harbours the bone
marrow.

• Bone tissue is highly vascularized and metabolically very active.

• It serves as a reservoir of calcium, phosphate, and other ions that can be

released or stored in a controlled fashion to maintain constant
concentrations of these important ions in body fluids
Bone is a specialized connective tissue composed of intercellular
calcified material, the bone matrix, and three cell types:

• Osteocytes which are found in cavities (lacunae) within the matrix

• Osteoblasts which synthesize the organic components of the matrix

• Osteoclasts which are multinucleated giant cells involved in the

resorption and remodelling of bone tissue.
Osteoblasts
• Osteoblasts are responsible for the synthesis of the organic
components of bone matrix (type I collagen, proteoglycans, and
glycoproteins).
• Osteoblasts are exclusively located at the surfaces of bone tissue, side
by side, in a way that resembles simple epithelium.
• When they are actively engaged in matrix synthesis, osteoblasts have
a cuboidal to columnar shape and basophilic cytoplasm.
• Some osteoblasts are gradually surrounded by newly formed matrix
and become osteocytes in a space called a lacuna.
Osteocytes

• Mature bone cells that sit in lacunae

• Oval shaped cell with condensed nuclear chromatin

• Gap junctions between osteocytes provide nutrition (15 cells

in a row)

• Maintain bony matrix; death causes resorption of matrix

Osteoclasts

• Derived from monocytes; engulf bony material (phagocytic)

• Large, multinucleated and branched found in Howship’s lacunae

• Surface foldings forming ruffled border increasing the active

resorptive area.

• Secrete enzymes (colleganase etc) that digest matrix

• Inhibited by calcitonin; stimulated by PTH
Periosteum

• Consists of outer layer of collagen fibers and fibroblast. The

fibers penetrate the bone matrix by Sharpey’s fiber

• Contain an inner layer of reserve cells which can differentiate

into osteoblast cells
Endosteum

• Consists of connective tissue

• Lines medullary and marrow cavities of bone

Types of Bone
• Microscopically
• Primary ( woven)
• Secondary (Lamellar)
• Macroscopically
• Compact
• Cancellous
(Both have lamellar arrangement)
Woven Bone
• Primary bone tissue is usually temporary and is replaced in adults by
secondary bone tissue, except in a very few places in the body (eg,
near the sutures of the flat bones of the skull, in tooth sockets, and
during bone healing)

• Characterized by random deposition of fine collagen and increased

cellularity.

• Relatively radiolucent (low mineral contents).

Lamellar (Secondary) Bone
Characterized by
• Arrangement of collagen fibers in lamellae organized concentrically
around a vascular canal containing blood vessels and nerves.
• The lamellae and the vascular canal constitute the Haversian
system or osteon.
• Lacunae containing osteocytes are present between the lamellae.
• Mineralized matrix with few fibers present around each osteon,
called the cementing substance.
Compact Bone
4 Types of lamellae seen:
• Haversian system (osteon)
• Outer circumferential
• Inner circumferential
• Interstitial
• Volkman’s canal communicate the osteons and, periosteal
and endosteal surfaces.
Spongy Bone

• Bony tissue is in the form of trabeculae having lamellar

arrangement.

• Vascular canals are absent as the vessels in marrow cavities

provide nutrition by means of diffusion
BONE FORMATION

• Bone can be formed in two ways: by direct mineralization of

matrix secreted by osteoblasts (intramembranous ossification)
or by deposition of bone matrix on a pre-existing cartilage
matrix (endochondral ossification).

• In both processes, the bone tissue that appears first is primary

or woven.
Endochondral Bone Formation

• Within the model of hyaline cartilage.

• Appearance of bone collar by intramembranous ossification

• Degeneration, hypertrophy and calcification of central cartilage

• Inversion by blood vessels bringing osteoprogenitor cells

• Osteoblasts cover the bone

• Primary then secondary ossification centers appear

Intramembranous Bone Formation
• Connective tissue develops embryonically and gives rise to
bone.
• Cells in connective tissue (mesenchyme) differentiate into
osteoblasts.
• Osteoblasts lay down collagen eventually starts to calcify and
become osteocytes.
• Cancellous bone eventually becomes compact bone.
Applied Anatomy
• Fractures
– Open and
– Closed
• Healing of these takes place in three stages;
- repair by granulation tissue
- union by callus
- consolidation by mature bone
• Osteonecrosis/Ischemic bone necrosis is cellular death of
bone components due to interruption of the blood supply

• Osteophytes, commonly referred to as bone spurs are bony

projections that form along joint margins

• Osteoarthritis or osteoarthrosis, is a join disease that results

from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone
• Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones caused by defective bone
mineralization secondary to inadequate levels of available phosphate and
calcium or because of overactive resorption of calcium from the bone
which can be caused by hyperparathyroidism (which causes hypercalcemia)

• Osteomyelitis is infection and inflammation of bone or bone marrow.

• Osteogenesis imperfecta also known as brittle bone disease is a congenital

bone disorder characterized by brittle bones that are prone to fracture.
People with OI are born with defective CT, or without the ability to make it,
usually because of a deficiency of type I collagen
• Osteopetrosis, literally "stone bone" is an extremely rare inherited
disorder whereby the bones harden, becoming denser.

• Osteoporosis is a disease where there is decreased bone density/

strength thereby increasing the risk of a bone fracture.

• It is the most common reason for a broken bone among old people.
end