Where is areolar connective tissue located

These tissues are widely distributed and serve as a universal packing material between other tissues. The functions of areolar connective tissue include the support and binding of other tissues. It also helps in defending against infection. When a body region is inflamed, the areolar tissue in the area soaks up the excess fluid as a sponge and the affected area swells and becomes puffy, a condition called edema. Adipose tissue : Yellow adipose tissue in paraffin section with lipids washed out.

This is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Its main role is to store energy in the form of lipids, although it also cushions and insulates the body. Adipose tissue is found in specific locations, referred to as adipose depots.

This tissue resembles areolar connective tissue, but the only fibers in its matrix are the reticular fibers, which form a delicate network.

The reticular tissue is limited to certain sites in the body, such as internal frameworks that can support lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow. This consists of closely packed bundles of collagen fibers running in the same direction. These collagen fibers are slightly wavy and can stretch a little bit.

With the tensile strength of collagen, this tissue forms tendons, aponeurosis and ligaments. This tissue forms the fascia, which is a fibrous membrane that wraps around the muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. This has the same structural elements as dense regular tissue, but the bundles of collagen fibers are much thicker and arranged irregularly. This tissue is found in areas where tension is exerted from many different directions.

It is part of the skin dermis area and in the joint capsules of the limbs. The main fibers that form this tissue are elastic in nature. These fibers allow the tissues to recoil after stretching.

This is especially seen in the arterial blood vessels and walls of the bronchial tubes. This is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes, and the intervertebral discs.

Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called chondroblasts and, unlike other connective tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. Type 3 - Reticular Fibers. Type 4 - Basement Membrane. Answer: White adipose tissue is composed of large cells with prominent central vacuoles.

It is white because the lipid is washed away during fixation and the vacuoles appear white under the microscope. Brown adipose tissue has smaller cells with many lipid droplets and mitochondria. It is brown because of the large number of cytochromes present. Answer: Hyaline cartilage — type II collagen — nose, tracheal rings, end of ribs. Fibrocartilage - type I collagen - tendons, intervertebral discs. Elastic cartilage - type II collagen - ear and epiglottis.

Answer: Fibroblast may be very basophilic because it has a lot of RER, and you may actually be able to see it releasing collagen. Macrophages are mononuclear cells that are generally nondescript, although they are easily identifiable if they have been actively phagocytosing particles.

Mast cells have a characteristic granulated appearance. Slides Please select whether to view the slides in study mode or quiz mode. In study mode, the images will contain labels and a description. In quiz mode, labels and description will be hidden. Study Mode. Virtual Microscope Slides Skin Identify two different types of connective tissue that are prominent in this slide.

What are the functions of each type? This is a section of trachea. Begin by recalling the pertinent information from the Laboratory on Epithelia. What type of epithelium is present? Next, move down and locate the cartilage ring that surrounds the trachea. This image shows a developing bone. Focus on where the tendon attaches to the bone and locate the fibrocartilage. Lipid is removed in routine tissue preparation. Consequently the cell appears as a thin rim of cytoplasm surrounding the vacuole of dissolved lipid.

The nucleus is eccentric and flattened. Adipose tissue is a connective tissue with a predominance of adipocytes. Slide 2 Peripheral Nerve, Osmium Tetroxide. Lipid is preserved and stained black when the tissue is prepared using osmium tetroxide as a fixative.

Slide 49 Esophagus. Leukocytes are white blood cells that are readily found in connective tissue. Lymphocytes similar in size to red blood cells are the most common connective tissue leukocyte. Aggregates of lymphocytes are often found associated with the mucosal epithelium of the GI tract, such as this slide of the esophagus.

They have a small amount of slightly basophilic cytoplasm and a large, darkly stained nucleus because of condensed chromatin. Use Slide 51 pyloric stomach to compare lymphocytes no visible cytoplasm to plasma cells which contain abundant cytoplasm.

Slide 80 Pancreas. Observe the eosinophils surrounding the large duct in the center of this slide. These cells are another type of leukocyte that are identified by their bilobed nucleus and refractile specific granules that are stained by eosin. Connective tissue can be classified as either connective tissue proper or specialized connective tissue. Connective tissue proper includes: loose connective tissue also called areolar and dense irregular connective tissue.

Specialized connective tissue types include: dense regular connective tissue, cartilage, bone, adipose tissue, blood, and hematopoietic tissue. The matrix plays a major role in the functioning of this tissue. Two major components of the matrix are ground substance and protein fibers. This ground substance is usually a fluid water , but it can also be mineralized and solid, as in bones.

Connective tissues come in a vast variety of forms, yet they typically have in common three characteristic components: cells, large amounts of ground substance, and protein fibers. The amount and structure of each component correlates with the function of the tissue, from the rigid ground substance in bones supporting the body to the inclusion of specialized cells; for example, a phagocytic cell that engulfs pathogens and also rids tissue of cellular debris.

The most common cell found within connective tissue is the fibroblast. Polysaccharides and proteins secreted by fibroblasts combine with extra-cellular fluids to produce a viscous ground substance that, with embedded fibrous proteins, forms the extra-cellular matrix. Three main types of fibers are secreted by fibroblasts: collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and reticular fibers.

Collagen fiber is made from fibrous protein subunits linked together to form a long and straight fiber. Collagen fibers, while flexible, have great tensile strength, resist stretching, and give ligaments and tendons their characteristic resilience and strength. These fibers hold connective tissues together, even during the movement of the body. Elastic fiber contains the protein elastin along with lesser amounts of other proteins and glycoproteins.

The main property of elastin is that after being stretched or compressed, it will return to its original shape. Elastic fibers are prominent in elastic tissues found in skin and the elastic ligaments of the vertebral column.

Reticular fiber is also formed from the same protein subunits as collagen fibers; however, these fibers remain narrow and are arrayed in a branching network. They are found throughout the body, but are most abundant in the reticular tissue of soft organs, such as liver and spleen, where they anchor and provide structural support to the parenchyma the functional cells, blood vessels, and nerves of the organ. All of these fiber types are embedded in ground substance. Secreted by fibroblasts, ground substance is made of water, polysaccharides, specifically hyaluronic acid, and proteins.

These combine to form a proteoglycan with a protein core and polysaccharide branches. The proteoglycan attracts and traps available moisture forming the clear, viscous, colorless matrix you now know as ground substance. Connective tissues perform many functions in the body, but most importantly, they support and connect other tissues; from the connective tissue sheath that surrounds muscle cells, to the tendons that attach muscles to bones, and to the skeleton that supports the positions of the body.

Protection is another major function of connective tissue, in the form of fibrous capsules and bones that protect delicate organs and, of course, the skeletal system. Specialized cells in connective tissue defend the body from microorganisms that enter the body. Transport of fluid, nutrients, waste, and chemical messengers is ensured by specialized fluid connective tissues, such as blood and lymph.

Adipose cells store surplus energy in the form of fat and contribute to the thermal insulation of the body. Loose connective tissue is found between many organs where it acts both to absorb shock and bind tissues together. It allows water, salts, and various nutrients to diffuse through to adjacent or imbedded cells and tissues.