Types of Body Tissues - Connective Tissue, Fibrous Connective Tissue and Loose Connective Tissue

Connective Tissue,  Fibrous Connective Tissue and  Loose Connective Tissue
Connective Tissue
Connective tissue binds structures together, provides sup­port and protection, fills spaces, produces blood cells, and stores fat. The body uses this stored fat for energy, insula­tion, and organ protection. As a rule, connective tissue cells are widely separated by a noncellular matrix that varies in consistency from solid to semifluid to fluid. Whereas the functional and physical properties of epithelial tissues are derived from the characteristics of cells, connective tissue properties are largely derived from the characteristics of the matrix.
The matrix may have fibers of three types. White fibers contain collagen, a substance that gives the fibers flexibility and strength. Yellow fibers contain elastin, which while not as strong as collagen, is more elastic. Reticular fibers are very thin, highly branched, collagenous fibers that form delicate supporting networks.
Loose Connective Tissue 
Loose (aerolar) connective tissue binds structures together. The cells of this tissue are mainly fibroblasts­large, star-shaped cells that produce extracellular fibers. In loose connective tissue, the fibroblasts are located some distance from one another and are separated by a jellylike matrix that contains many white and yellow fibers. The white fibers occur in bundles and are strong and flexible. The yellow fibers form highly elastic networks that return to their original length after stretching. Loose connective tissue commonly lies beneath an epithelium. In certain in­stances, the epithelium and its underlying connective tis­sue form a body membrane.
Adipose tissue  is a type of loose connective tis­sue in which the fibroblasts enlarge and store fat and there is limited matrix. The fibroblasts of reticular connective tissue are called reticular cells, and the matrix contains only retic­ular fibers. This tissue, also called lymphoid tissue, is found in lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus, and red bone marrow. These organs are a part of the immune system because they store and/or produce white blood cells, particularly lym­phocytes. All types of blood cells are produced in red bone marrow.
Fibrous Connective Tissue 
Fibrous connective tissue has a matrix produced by fi­broblasts that contain closely packed bundles of white col­lagenous fibers. This type of tissue has more specific functions than does loose connective tissue. For ex­ample, fibrous connective tissue is found in tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and ligaments, which connect bones to other bones at joints. Tendons and liga­ments take a long time to heal following an injury because their blood supply is relatively poor.
Loose and fibrous connective tissues. vvhich bind body parts together. differ according to the type and abundance of fibers in the matrix.

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Posted in Human Anatomy and Physiology