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CLASSIFICATION OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

Updated: Jul 13, 2021



Due to the diversity of cells and extracellular matrix and the variations in their relative proportions, the type of connective tissues isn't always constantly numerous classifications exist. We offer the following types of schemes:

I. Embryonic connective tissue

A. Mesenchyme

B. Mucous connective tissue

II. Mature connective tissue

A. Unfastened connective tissue

1. Areolar connective tissue

2. Adipose tissue

3. Reticular connective tissue

B. Dense connective tissue

1. Dense everyday connective tissue

2. Dense irregular connective tissue

three. Elastic connective tissue

C. Cartilage

1. Hyaline cartilage

2. Fibrocartilage

3. Elastic cartilage

D. Bone tissue

E. Liquid connective tissue

1. Blood tissue

2. Lymph


The category scheme has fundamental subclasses of connective tissue: embryonic and mature. Embryonic connective tissue is present commonly within the embryo, the growing human from fertilization via the primary two months of being pregnant, and inside the fetus, the developing human from the third month of pregnancy to start. One example of embryonic connective tissue observed most completely in the embryo is mesenchyme, the tissue from which nearly all other connective tissues subsequently arise. Mesenchyme is composed of irregularly formed cells, a semifluid floor substance, and sensitive reticular fibres. Another type of embryonic tissue is mucous connective tissue (Wharton’s jelly), determined especially inside the umbilical cord of the fetus. Mucous connective tissue is a form of mesenchyme that contains broadly scattered fibroblasts, a greater viscous jellylike floor substance, and collagen fibres.


The second important subclass of connective tissue, mature connective tissue, is present in the newborn. Its cells stand up from mesenchyme. inside the subsequent segment, we discover the numerous styles of mature connective tissue.


Types of Mature Connective Tissue

The five styles of mature connective tissue are (1) free connective tissue, (2) dense connective tissue, (three) cartilage, (4) bone tissue, and (five) liquid connective tissue (blood tissue and lymph).


Loose Connective Tissue

The fibers of unfastened connective tissue are loosely intertwined among cells. The forms of free connective tissue are areolar connective tissue, adipose tissue, and reticular connective tissue.


Areolar Connective Tissue

One of the maximum widely dispensed connective tissues within the body is areolar connective tissue. It consists of numerous varieties of cells, which include fibroblasts, macrophages, plasma cells, mast cells, and adipocytes. All three sorts of fibres—collagen, elastic, and reticular are arranged randomly in the course of the tissue. The ground substance includes hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and keratan sulfate. combined with adipose tissue, areolar connective tissue paperwork the sub-clear-cutaneous layer, the layer of tissue that attaches the pores and skin to underlying tissues and organs.


Adipose Tissue

Adipose tissue is an unfastened connective tissue wherein the cells, called adipocytes, are specialized for the storage of triglycerides (fat). Adipocytes are derived from fibroblasts. Due to the fact the cellular fills up with a single, massive triglyceride droplet, the cytoplasm and nucleus are driven to the worn-out of the mobile. Adipose tissue is determined anywhere areolar connective tissue is located. Adipose tissue is a great insulator and might therefore lessen warmness loss thru the skin. It is a first-rate strength reserve and usually helps and protects numerous organs. As someone gains weight, the number of adipose tissue increases and new blood vessels form. thus, an overweight individual has many more blood vessels than does a lean individual, a scenario which can reason excessive blood strain, because the heart has to paintings more difficult.



Most adipose tissue in adults is white adipose tissue, the sort simply described. Any other kind, known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), obtains its darker shade from a totally rich blood supply, together with several pigmented mitochondria that take part in cardio mobile breathing. Even though BAT is huge within the fetus and toddler, in adults best small quantities are a gift. BAT generates enormous warmness and in all likelihood allows to preserve body temperature within the new child. the warmth generated by the many mitochondria is overexcited to different body tissues via the sizeable blood delivery.


Reticular Connective Tissue

Reticular connective tissue consists of satisfactory interlacing reticular fibers and reticular cells. Reticular connective tissue bureaucracy the stroma (helping framework) of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes and enables bind together clean muscle cells. moreover, reticular fibers in the spleen clear out the blood and take away blood cells, and reticular fibers in lymph nodes clear out lymph and remove microorganisms.


Dense Connective Tissue

Dense connective tissue carries greater numerous, thicker, and denser fibers (packed more carefully) but substantially fewer cells than loose connective tissue. There are three sorts: dense everyday connective tissue, dense irregular connective tissue, and elastic connective tissue.


Dense Regular Connective Tissue

In dense normal connective tissue, bundles of collagen fibers are regularly organized in parallel patterns that provide the tissue with extremely good strength. The tissue withstands pulling along the axis of the fibers. Fibroblasts, which produce the fibers and floor substance, seem in rows between the fibers. The tissue is silvery-white and tough, yet truly pliable. Examples include tendons and most ligaments.


Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

Dense abnormal connective tissue contains collagen fibers which are generally irregularly organized. Located in elements of the body wherein pulling forces are exerted in various instructions, this tissue regularly occurs in sheets, together with within the dermis of the pores and skin, that is deep to the epidermis, or the fibrous pericardium around the coronary heart. coronary heart valves, the perichondrium (the tissue surrounding cartilage), and the periosteum (the tissue surrounding bone) are dense abnormal connective tissues, even though they have got a reasonably orderly arrangement of collagen fibers.


Elastic Connective Tissue

Branching elastic fibers predominate inelastic connective tissue, giving the unstained tissue a yellowish shade. Fibroblasts are gifts within the spaces among the fibers. Elastic connective tissue is pretty robust and may recoil to its authentic form after being stretched. Elasticity is crucial to the normal functioning of lung tissue, which recoils as you exhale, and elastic arteries, which flinch among heartbeats to keep blood go with the flow.


Cartilage

Cartilage includes a dense network of collagen fibers and elastic fibers firmly embedded in chondroitin sulfate, a gel-like factor of the floor substance. Cartilage can endure significantly greater strain than unfastened and dense connective tissues. The energy of cartilage is because of its collagen fibers, and its resilience (ability to expect its original form after deformation) is due to chondroitin sulfate.


The cells of mature cartilage, called chondrocytes, occur singly or in agencies within spaces referred to as lacunae within the extracellular matrix. A blood vessels, and fibroblasts, and an inner mobile layer that includes cells worried the boom of cartilage. Unlike different connective tissues, cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves, except inside the perichondrium. Cartilage does now not have blood delivery because it secretes an antiangiogenetic aspect, a substance that forestalls blood vessel boom. due to these belongings, the antiangiogenetic thing is being studied as a likely most cancers remedy to stop cancer cells from selling new blood vessel increase that supports their rapid rate of cellular division and expansion. in view that cartilage has no blood supply, it heals poorly the following harm. There are 3sorts of cartilage: hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and elastic cartilage.


Hyaline Cartilage

Hyaline cartilage contains a resilient gel as its ground substance and looks inside the frame as a bluish-white, vivid substance. the thin, satisfactory collagen fibers arent visible with everyday staining techniques, and prominent chondrocytes are located in lacunae. Most hyaline cartilage is surrounded via a perichondrium. The exceptions are the articular cartilage in joints and the cartilage of the epiphyseal plates, the areas wherein bones lengthen as someone grows. Hyaline cartilage is the maximum considerable cartilage within the body. It affords flexibility and guide and, at joints, reduces friction and absorbs shock. Hyaline cartilage is the weakest of the three varieties of cartilage.


Fibrocartilage

Chondrocytes are scattered amongst definitely seen, thick bundles of collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix of fibrocartilage. Fibrocartilage lacks a perichondrium. With a mixture of power and stress, this tissue is the most powerful of the 3forms of cartilage. One place of fibrocartilage is the intervertebral discs, the discs between the vertebrae (backbones).


Elastic Cartilage

The chondrocytes of elastic cartilage are placed within a threadlike community of elastic fibers inside the extracellular matrix. A perichondrium is a gift. Elastic cartilage presents strength and elasticity and continues the form of sure systems, together with the worn-outside ear.


Repair and Increase of Cartilage

Metabolically, cartilage is an especially inactive tissue that grows slowly. whilst injured or infected, cartilage repair proceeds slowly, in big components because cartilage is avascular. Substances are wanted for repair and blood cells that take part in tissue restorative to diffuse or migrate into the cartilage. The boom of cartilage follows simple patterns: interstitial growth and appositional boom.


In interstitial increase, their boom from inside the tissue. whilst cartilage grows through interstitial growth, the cartilage increases unexpectedly in length because of the division of current chondrocytes and the continuous deposition of growing amounts of extracellular matrix by using the chondrocytes. because the chondrocytes synthesize a new matrix, they're driven far away from every other. These activities cause the cartilage to enlarge from inside like bread growing, that is the motive for the time period interstitial. This increased sample takes place while the cartilage is young and pliable, during

worn-out and worn tired.


In an appositional boom, there is an increase in the worn-outer floor of the tissue. whilst cartilage grows with the aid of appositional growth, cells inside the intercellular layer of the perichondrium differentiate into chondroblasts. As differentiation maintains, the chondroblasts surround themselves with extracellular matrix and turn worn tired chondrocytes. As a result, the matrix accumulates underneath the perichondrium at the worn-outer surface of the cartilage, causing it to develop in width. The appositional increase starts off evolved later than interstitial boom and keeps via childhood tired.


Bone Tissue

Cartilage, joints, and bones make up the skeletal machine. The skeletal device supports tender tissues protect delicate structures, and works with skeletal muscle mass to generate motion. Bones keep calcium and phosphorus; resident crimson bone marrow, which produces blood cells; and contain yellow bone marrow, a storage website online for triglycerides. Bones are organs composed of several exceptional connective tissues, inclusive of bone or osseous tissue, the periosteum, pink and yellow bone marrow, and the endosteum (a membrane that traces a space within bone that stores yellow bone marrow). Bone tissue is assessed as both compact or spongy, relying on how its extracellular matrix and cells are organized.

The primary unit of compact bone is an osteon or Haversian machine. each osteon has four elements:

1. The lamellae are concentric earrings of the extracellular matrix that include mineral salts (in most cases calcium and phosphates), which provide bone with its hardness, and collagen fibres, which offer bone its electricity. The lamellae are liable for the compact nature of this type of bone tissue.

2. Lacunae are small areas between lamellae that incorporate mature bone cells called osteocytes.

3. Projecting from the lacunae are canaliculi, networks of minute canals containing the tactics of osteocytes. Canaliculi provide work routes for vitamins to attain osteocytes and for wastes to go away from them.

4. A crucial (haversian) canal incorporates blood vessels and nerves.


Spongy bone lacks osteons. as a substitute, it includes columns of bone referred to as trabeculae, which include lamellae, osteocytes, lacunae, and canaliculi. Areas between trabeculae are packed with purple bone marrow.


Liquid Connective Tissue

Blood Tissue

Blood tissue (or truly tired blood) is a connective tissue with a liquid extracellular matrix known as blood plasma, a light yellow fluid that consists more often than not of water with an extensive form of dissolved materials—vitamins, wastes, enzymes, plasma proteins, hormones, respiration gases, and ions. Suspended inside the blood plasma are fashioned factors—purple blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes). pink blood cells transport oxygen to body cells and take awaysome carbon dioxide from them. White blood cells are concerned with phagocytosis, immunity, and allergies. Platelets participate in blood clotting.

Lymph

Lymph is the extracellular fluid that flows in lymphatic vessels. It is a connective tissue that consists of several styles of cells in a clean liquid extracellular matrix that is much like blood plasma however with a lot much less protein. The composition of lymph varies from one part of the frame to every other. as an example, lymph leaving lymph nodes consists of many lymphocytes, a form of white blood cellular, in contrast to lymph from the small intestine, which has an excessive content material of newly absorbed dietary lipids.

Membranes

Membranes are flat sheets of pliable tissue that cowl or line a part of the frame. The combination of an epithelial layer and an underlying connective tissue layer constitutes an epithelial membrane. The fundamental epithelial membranes of the frame are mucous membranes, serous membranes, and the uncomplicate tenuous membrane, or pores and skin. every other kind of membrane, a synovial membrane traces joints and incorporates connective tissue however no epithelium.


Epithelial Membranes

Mucous Membranes

A mucous membrane or mucosa traces a frame cavity that opens worn-out to the worn-out side. Mucous membranes line the whole digestive, breathing, and reproductive tracts, and much of the urinary tract. They encompass a lining layer of epithelium and an underlying layer of connective tissue. The epithelial layer of a mucous membrane is an important characteristic of the body’s protection mechanisms due to the fact it's miles a barrier that microbes and different pathogens have trouble penetrating. Usually, tight junctions connect the cells, so substances can not leak in between them. Goblet cells and different cells of the epithelial layer of a mucous membrane secrete mucus, and this slippery fluid prevents the cavities from drying worn out. It also traps debris in the respiratory passageways and lubricates meals as it actions via the gastrointestinal tract. similarly, the epithelial layer secretes some of the enzymes needed for digestion and is the web page of food and fluid absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

The epithelia of mucous membranes vary significantly in exclusive elements of the body. as an example, the mucous membrane of the small intestine is the nonciliated easy columnar epithelium, and the large airlines to the lungs encompass the pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium. The connective tissue layer of a mucous membrane is areolar connective tissue and is known as the lamina propria, so named because it belongs to the mucous membrane. The lamina propria helps the epithelium, binds it to the underlying systems, and lets in a few flexibilities of the membrane. It additionally holds blood vessels in the region and affords a few safety for underlying systems. Oxygen and nutrients diffuse from the lamina propria to the epithelium protecting it; carbon dioxide and wastes diffuse within the opposite worn tired.


Serous Membranes

A serous membrane (serious watery) or serosa strains a frame cavity (thoracic and stomach) that doesn't open with or tired to the worn-outdoors, and it covers the organs that lie inside the cavity. Serous membranes consist of areolar connective tissue protected with the aid of mesothelium (simple squamous epithelium) . Serous membranes have two layers: The layer connected to and lining the hollow space wall is called the parietal layer; the layer that covers and adheres to the organs inside the cavity is the visceral layer. The mesothelium of a serous membrane secretes serous fluid, a watery lubricant that lets organs flow effortlessly over each other or slide against the partitions of cavities. The serous membrane lining the thoracic hollow space and masking the lungs is the pleura. The serous membrane lining the coronary heart cavity and overlaying the heart is the pericardium. The serous membrane lining the stomach's hollow space and overlaying the belly organs is the peritoneum.


Cutaneous Membrane

The uncomplicated aeneous membrane or pores and skin covers the whole surface of the body and consists of a superficial component known as the epidermis and a deeper element referred to as the epidermis. The epidermis consists of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, which protects underlying tissues. The dermis includes connective tissue (areolar connective tissue and dense irregular connective tissue).


Synovial Membranes

Synovial membranes line the cavities of freely movable joints. Like serous membranes, synovial membranes line systems that don't open to the worn-out. In contrast to mucous, serous, and clear-cutaneous membranes, they lack an epithelium and are consequently now not epithelial membranes. Synovial membranes are composed of a discontinuous layer of cells referred to as synoviocytes, that are toward the synovial hollow space (space between the bones) and a layer of connective tissue (areolar and adipose) deep to the synoviocytes. Synoviocytes secrete a number of the additives of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid lubricates and nourishes the cartilage overlaying the bones at movable joints and incorporates macrophages that cast off microbes and debris from the joint hollow space.


References :

1. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology 12th edition by Gerard J. Tortora and Bryan Derrickson.

2. Images are taken from vecteezy.com.


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