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cytoplasm
nucleus
Brown adipose tissue - highly specialized
• is found in the new born
• plays a part in temperature regulation.
• small amounts are found in adults
• arranged in lobules separated by fibrous
septa.
• lipid is stored as minute droplets (multilocular)
in the cell.
• The cytoplasm is copious and stains intensely
due to the mitochondria.
• These have numerous closely packed cristae
rich in cytochromes involved in energy
production.
• Nuclei are eccentrically located and are
rounded.
Fibres - Fibres are mainly of two types
collagen (white) fibres
elastic (yellow) fibres.
Collagen - found in all types of supporting tissue
• most abundant protein in the human body
• flexible it provides a high tensile strength.
• Collagen is secreted by the fibroblasts into the
EC matrix in the form of tropocllagen molecules
Areolar connective tissue.
• All pink fibers - collagenous fibers.
• Dark, thin, more tortuous fibers - elastic )
fibers.
• Most of the nuclei belong to fibroblasts.
• Reticulin fibres - form the frame work in cellular
organs(liver, lymphoid tissue)
• The fine network of branching fibres is anchored
to the collagenous capsule and septae
• These fibres are not clearly seen with H&E stain.
They stain black with silver stains.
• Reticulin fibres are the earliest collagen fibres to
be produced.
• Elastic fibres - thinner than collagen, exihibit no
banding. They are short branching fibres that
form an irregular network
A - Elastic Fibres
• Ground substance - an amorphous
transparent material in the form of a semifluid
gel in which the cell and fibres are arranged.
• composed of glycosaminoglycans*
(mucopolysaccharides) mainly in the form of
hyaluronic acid linked to a protein molecule to
form proteoglycans (mucoproteins).
• Tissue fluids loosely associated with the ground
substance serve as a medium by which
nutrients, gases and metabolites can be
exchanged between cells and capillaries.
• The ground substance forms a mechanical
barrier to bacteria
• plays an important role in preventing the spread
of microorganisms.
• Hyaluronidase present in some bacteria may
help in their spread.
• The ground substance may also act as selective
barrier to inorganic ions and charged molecules.
• **Structural glycoproteins are made up of protein
chains bound to branched polysaccharides.
TYPES OF SUPPORTING TISSUE
1.Loose irregular ordinary supporting tissue
(areolar tissue)
• widely distributed in the body
• consist of a meshwork of thin collagen and
elastic fibres forming a network.
• all supporting tissue cells are found among the
fibres in the ground substance.
2. Dense irregular supporting tissue
• found in the dermis, capsules of organs,
periosteum.
• made up of a network coarse collagen fibres
with a few elastic or reticular fibres. Fibroblasts
are few.
3.Dense regular supporting tissue- consist of
collagen fibres that are densely packed in a
regular arrangement -reflect the mechanical
needs of the tissue.
• Tendons
• Aponeuroses
• Ligaments
• In tendons, the collagen fibres are packed in
parallel bundles. The only types of cells are the
fibroblasts that lie in rows between the
bundles.
B- collagen fibres
A - fibroblasts
Aponeuroses-
• the collagen fibres are arranged in a broad
sheets
• may be in a number of layers with the fibres
of one layer running at an angle to the
adjacent layer.
In ligaments-
• the arrangement of fibres is not so regular.
• In certain sites as in the ligamentum
nuchae and ligamentum flava they are
mainly made up of elastic fibres.
4.Adipose tissue (see section on adipocytes)
5.Mucoid tissue is found in the umbilical cord
(Wharton’s jelly).
• The ground substance is mucoid with a scanty
meshwork of collagen fibres and a few cells.
• The vitreous body is a persistent form of
mucoid tissue.
6.Basement membrane- condensed layer of the
EC matrix of supporting tissue.
• provides mechanical and nutritional support. It
is found in relation to epithelia, nerve and
muscle where they form the external lamina.