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EVALS 3
Lecture 2: Connective Tissue
Lecturer: Eduardo G. Gonzales, M.D.
Composition:
INTRODUCTION 1. cells
Characteristics: extracellular material is abundant; cells 2. extracellular substance (extracellular matrix)
are relatively sparse a. ground substance
Origin: almost entirely derived from mesoderm (some Characteristics:
CT in the head is derived from ectoderm) amorphous
Classification: transparent
1. Connective tissue proper homogenous
Composition: hydrated gel
a. cells Composition:
b. extracellular substance (extracellular matrix) water
1. ground substance proteoglycans
2. fibers mineral salts
glycoproteins
2.
Special types of Connective Tissue b. fibers
Cartilage *Blood vessels and nerve fibers are abundant in the extracellular
Bone substance
Blood
hemopoietic tissue (myeloid and lymphoid) GROUND SUBSTANCE
CONNECTIVE TISSUE PROPER 1. High water content makes it easier for oxygen,
Acidic nature of GAGs- due to presence of sulfate in connective tissue proper secreted
and carboxyl group in their sugar components by fibroblasts and mesenchymal
Common GAGs include: cells
i. Chondroitin sulfate in cartilage and bone secreted by
ii. Keratin sulfates I and II chondroblasts and osteoblasts.
iii. Heparan sulfate (Note: matrix of cartilage and bone
iv. Dermatan sulfate also contain collagen fibers)
Most proteoglycan aggregates (complexes) that o in extracellular matrix:
consist of: a. 3 procollagen molecules ( a chains) twist
1. Proteoglycan molecules around each other to form
2. Hyaluronic acid tropocollagen molecules (much like
o Most abundant type of GAGs in CT fibers of the rope and getting bound
o Only one without a sulfate- side group together by hydrogen bonds)
o Does not form covalent bond with core protein b. extra peptide groups of procollagen
o Serves as backbone to which proteoglycan molecules are removed enzymatically
molecules are attached by link proteins o tropocollagen molecules aggregate to form
3. Link protein- binds 1 and 2 microfibrils
o 45-100 nm diameter
EXTRACELLULAR FIBERS o microfibrils collect to form fibrils
Primarily responsible for supportive function of CT (macrofibrils)
proper o fibrils are 0.3-0.5 mm
Types: o in LM, hard to distinguish
1. Collagen fibers o in EM, have dense transverse
2. Elastic fibers bands set at 64 nm along length of
3. Reticules fiber fiber
These three types of CT occur in varying combinations in o fibrils aggregate to form fibers
the CT that are present different parts of the body. o 2-10 mm
COLLAGEN FIBERS (COLLAGENOUS FIBERS) o in LM, easy to distinguish
Ordinary Connective Tissue o EM: dense transverse bands that
are set at 64 nm intervals along their
Present in all connective tissues, although in varying
length
amounts
o fibers collect to form bundles
Main fiber in collagenous CT, the most abundant CT type
Summary:
in the body
Procollagen-> tropocollagen-> collagen microfibrils->
Tensile strength is greater than steel
collagen fibrils-> collagen fibers->
Flexible, but inelastic
collagen bundles
Colorless individually
ELASTIC FIBERS
White when abundant, as in tendons
fine, highly refractile
Collect into bundles that appear pink in H & E
often branch (unlike collagen fibers); branches
preparations since they are acidophilic.
anastomose
Masson’s trichrome: collagen fibers appear blue
impart yellow color to fresh tissue
Consists of Collagen
in H&E: unstained; appear as refractile, pinkish-yellow
o most abundant protein in body
lines
o accounts for about 25% of body’s dry weight
in LM
o family of structural proteins
o difficult to distinguish in H & E
28 distinct types (I- XXVIII) differ by
o selectively stained blue to black by orcein;
amino acid composition
resorcin-fuschin aldehyde- fuschin, etc.
sequence of alpha- chains
less tensile strength than collagen, but very supple
o not all types form fibrils and fibers
o in connective tissue, practically all are recoil back to their original length when stretching force
types I, II, and III is released
Collagen fibers are made up of collagen type I abundant in structures subjected to frequent stretching
o ligamenta flava - between vertebrae
Formation
o elastic cartilage – form framework of auricle
o Procollagen
and external acoustic meatus of ear, external
precursor of collagen fibers
nose, auditory tube, epiglottis and some parts
has polypeptide chains longer than
of larynx.
those in mature collagen
In EM: fibers)
o amorphous core of elastin o reacts positively with PAS.
highly-insoluble protein Formation:
responsible for elasticity of elastic o same as collagen fibers
fibers
resistant to boiling and hydrolysis by o but, precursor secreted by specialized
acids, alkali, and most enzymes but fibroblasts called reticular cells
hydrolyzed by pancreatic enzyme CELLS
elastase 1. Resident cells- stay permanently in CT
only one genetic type mesenchymal cell
exists in 2 forms: fibroblast and fibrocyte
fibrillar - in elastic fiber adipose cell
(surrounded by microfibrils) reticular cell
nonfibrillar -comprises mast cell
elastic lamellae of blood resident macrophage
vessels. 2. Visiting cells- transient in CT
o Microfibrils (longitudinal branches) inflammatory macrophage
mostly fibrillin plasma cell
surround elastin. leukocytes or white blood cell
Elastogenesis/ Elastic fiber formation MESENCHYMAL CELL
raw materials needed for formation of fibers Multipotential cell that has differentiated from
1. microfibrils (mostly fibrillin) Pluripotental stem cell
2. tropoelastin – precursor of elastin Capable of differentiating into several types of cells
in connective tissue, raw materials secreted to Stem cells of most connective tissue cells as well as
intercellular space by bone, cartilage, and muscle cells
1. fibroblasts Pluripotental stem cell
2. mesenchymal cells o common origin of all cells of body
in elastic lamellae, tropoelastin is secreted by smooth o rare in adults, but some exists, especially in
muscle cells bone marrow
in intercellular space: o differentiate to multipotential stem cell
1. microfibrils form bundles while tropoelastin polymerizes
to form elastin
2. tropoelastin incorporated to outer aspect of microfibril
bundles (When fiber has enough elastin, additional
microfibril bundles are added on the external surface)
3. later, with addition of more microfibrils and elastin, the
latter gets to occupy core of fiber.
Elastin that forms the elastic lamellae in arteries is
synthesized by smooth muscle cells that lay down
elastin in fenestrated sheets or lamellae arranged in
concentric layers between layers of smooth muscle rare in adults; but some exist usually in the bone
marrow and in CT near capillaries
RETICULAR FIBERS abound in the embryo and in the umbilical cord
composed of type III collagen in LM, difficult to distinguish from fibroblast
compared to collagen fibers (type I collagen) o cytoplasmic processes
o finer (0.5-2mm) makes cell stellate
o more sugar groups o nucleus
o branch and anastomose. (form extensive oval
networks in some organs) distinct nucleolus
sparse in most connective tissue fine chromatin
main intercellular fiber in: in EM, compared to fibroblast
1. reticular tissue o coarser chromatin
2. lamina fibroreticularis of basement membrane o fewer organelles
in LM
o not distinguishable in H & E FIBROBLAST
o stain black with silver salts (argyrophilic most abundant cell type in connective tissue
originates in embryo from mesenchymal cells o fat droplet is removed during processing
capable of mitosis, but divide infrequently leaving a large empty space (dissolved and
long-lived and sturdy washed away by solvents like xylol during
Routine histologic preparations: lie close to or adhere processing)
to collagen fibers o signet ring cell
function: synthesis of large empty space
o organic components of ground substance nucleus on one side.
proteins Fat is fixed and stained black by osmium tetroxide and
glycoproteins colored by dyes such as Sudan III.
glycosaminoglycans mature cells do not divide
o precursors of fibers (collagen, elastic and new cells sourced from
reticular) o mesenchymal cells
irregular cytoplasmic processes o pre-fat cells
cytoplasm cells in intermediate step between
o basophilic due to presence of well-developed stem cell and fat cell
rER reside in adipose tissue
nucleus uncertain lineage (mesenchymal cell
o pale or fibroblasts?)
o ovoid divides twice before becoming full-
o fine chromatin fledged fat cells
o visible nucleolus. RETICULAR CELL
There is some functional specialization among fibroblast that synthesizes only precursors of type III
fibroblasts. collagen
Reticular cells- fibroblasts that synthesize reticular present in small numbers in most connective tissue
fibers that do not synthesize collagen or elastic fibers abundant in reticular tissue.
in H & E
FIBROCYTE o slightly larger than fibroblast
idle or resting fibroblast o nucleus
can become active (in proper conditions such as large
wound- healing) pale staining
compared to fibroblast o cytoplasmic processes
o smaller long
o fewer processes embrace reticular fibers.
o acidophilic cytoplasm MAST CELL
o nucleus is dark and compact. mastocytes; histaminocytes
ADIPOSE CELL large, ovate cell (15-20 mm)
a.k.a., fat cell, adipocyte not distinguishable in H & E
specialized to store lipid in its cytoplasm (mainly nucleus
triglyceride) o centrally located
present in variable numbers in practically all connective o spherical
tissues secretory granules in cytoplasm
predominant cellular element in adipose tissue (a type o numerous
of connective tissue) o membrane bound
fat in adipose cells is synthesized by cells from glucose o 0.3-0.8 mm in diameter
that is brought to the cells from the liver or obtained by o variable shape
the cell from ingested food, via bloodstream, in the form o metachromatic
of chylomicron o dark purple with toluidine blue; not seen in
look like fibroblasts before accumulating fat or when fat H&E
contents has been depleted o contain histamine (dilates and makes blood
capillaries more permeable and which
lipoblast- fat cell is only starting to accumulate fat and
stimulates the smooth muscle cells especially
only few small fat droplets in its cytoplasm can be seen
of the bronchioles in respiratory tract and
mature cell possesses single large fat droplet
some proteases) and heparin (an
fat droplet flattens and pushes nucleus and
anticoagulant).
cytoplasmic organelles to one side of the cell
In EM: mast cells are seen to possess microvilli
in H&E
sparse in most connective tissues
References:
Powepoint Presentation
Esteban and Gonzales’ Textbook of Histology