Biology: Connective Tissue Types

Connective Tissue

• Connective tissues include cartilage, bone, adipose, and blood.
• Cells in connective tissues, except blood, secrete fibres of structural proteins called collagen or elastin, providing strength, elasticity, and flexibility.
• Cells also secrete modified polysaccharides, which act as matrix (ground substance) between cells and fibres.

Types of Connective Tissue

• There are three types of connective tissues: loose connective tissue, dense connective tissue, and specialized connective tissue.

Loose Connective Tissue

• Has cells and fibres loosely arranged in a semi-fluid ground substance.
• Examples include areolar tissue present beneath the skin.
• Often serves as a support framework for epithelium.
• Contains fibroblasts, macrophages, and mast cells.

Adipose Tissue

• A type of loose connective tissue located mainly beneath the skin.
• Cells are specialized to store fats.
• Excess nutrients are converted into fats and stored in this tissue.

Dense Connective Tissue

• Fibres and fibroblasts are compactly packed.
• Fibre orientation shows a regular or irregular pattern, making dense regular and dense irregular tissues.

Dense Regular Connective Tissue

• Collagen fibres are present in rows between many parallel bundles of fibres.
• Examples include tendons and ligaments.

Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

• Fibroblasts and many fibres (mostly collagen) are oriented differently.
• Present in the skin.