CONNECTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE TISSUE

• Resident cells are cells that are produced. grow old and die in the connective tissue.
• mesenchymal cells are stellate, or spindle shaped cells with cytoplasmic processes. they are common in the embryo and transform into different types of adult cells in the body.
• Reticular cells - found mainly in lymphatic organs where they produce reticular fibers. - also stellate or spindel shaped with cytoplasmic processes.
• Fibroblasts - most common resident cells of LCT, FUSIFORM SHAPED. -located between collagen and elastic fibers.
• Fibroblast- Produce amorphous ground substance, collagen, and elastic fibers.
• Macrophages - Angular cells w cytoplasmic processes, granules and vacuoles and bean shaped nucleus at the end of the cell. - highly specialized for phagocytosis eg. tubercle bacilli
• Pericytes - spinde. intimate contact with walls of capillarues or small vessels
• White adipose cell- signet ring with a nucleus that bulges slightly from one side, empty in paraffin sections because of fat content dissolved in alcohol.
• Brown adipose cell multiocular cell with many small fat droplets in the cytoplasm and a round nucleus.
• Brown adipose cell is -found in hibernating animals or young embryo
• Mast cells or tissue basophils vary in size, have cytoplasmic granules that contain heparin and histamine.
• Foreign body giant cells - large multinucleated cell by the fusion of monocytes and macrophages. - common in lesions of tubercolosis. - digest large foreign bodies.
• Transient or Migrant cells - found in circulating blood - invade CT when needed only (allergy, parasitic and foreign body invasion) - also include lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils
• Plasma cells - principal producers of antibodies or immunoglobulins. - May contain RUSSELL BODIES or normally large accumulation of secretions that indicate onset of degeneration of plasma cells.
• Pigment cells - pigment containing, eg. melanocyte
• The classification of connective tissues are:

  1. Type of cells that predominate the tissue
  2. Type of fibers in the matrix
  3. Number of fibers in a unit area of the matrix
  4. Orderliness of matrix components
• Connective tissue is a tissue that holds, binds and supports other tissues of the body.
• The components of connective tissues are:

  1. Cells
  2. intercellular substance
  3. fluid
• Cells are the second most numerous component of connective tissues
• Fibroblasts are fusiform shaped when located between collagena and elastic fibers but round when in loose connective tissues
• Fibroblasts produce amorphous ground substance, collagen, and elastic fibers
• Fibroblasts are most common cells in connective tissue
• Macrophage are angular cells with cytoplasmic processes, granules. and vacuoles and bean shaped nucleus located at one end of the cells.
• Pericytes are spindle shaped and in contact with the walls of capillaries and smal vessels
• Fat or adipose cells occur singularly or in small groups in LOOSE CONNECTIVE TISSUES
• Classification of adipocyte where it is shaped like a signet ring with a nucleus that bulged slightly from one side of the rinhg.
• White adipose cell appear empty in paraffin section because its fat content os dissolved by alcohol during processing
• Intercellular substance is the most predominant component and is classified as amorphous and formed
• Amorphous ground substance is a viscous substance in which CT fibers and cells are embedded. It is made of mucupolysachharides
• Formed substance is a glycoprotiem substance in the firm of fibers that are produced by connective tissue cells called fibroblasts.
• Colagen fibers is the most common and widest fiber in the body
• Reticular fibers are short thin black fibers that interconnect to form a network
• Elastic fibers are long, thin straight and branched fibers, when broken they are wavy like a corkscrew
• The types of connective tissue are embryonal and adult CT
• MEsenchymal connective tissue is the tissue found on the embryo and cosnists of mesenchymal cells and very fine collagfen fibers
• Mucoid connective tissue is found on Wharton's JElly of the umbilical Cord, in the comb and wattle of birds, and lamina propria of omasum
• SUPPORTIVE TISSUE

  (Cartilage)

  is a specialized form of CT combining a degree of rigidity iwth flexibility and strength
• A feature of Cartilage is that it is enclosed by a capsule called PERICHONDRIUM which is composed of an outer fiberous (DWFCT) layer and an inner chondrogenic layer that contains chondrogenic cells
• Cartilage grows by Appositional and Interstitial Growth
• Appositional growth of cartilage is the increase in the size of the cartilage by the addition of new layers of cafrtilage to the pre existing one