Characteristics of Connective Tissue and Fiber Types
Not to be confused with muscle fibers.
Characteristics of CT:
- Cells are spread through an extracellular fluid.
- Ground substance - A clear, colorless, and viscous fluid containing glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans to fix the bodywater and the collagen fibers in the intercellular spaces. Ground substance slows the spread of pathogens.
- Fibers. Not all types of CT are fibrous. Examples include adipose tissue and blood. Adipose tissue gives "mechanical cushioning" to our body, among other functions. Although there is no dense collagen network in adipose tissue, groups of adipose cells are kept together by collagen fibers and collagen sheets in order to keep fat tissue under compression in place (for example, the sole of the foot). The matrix of blood is plasma.
- Both the ground substance and proteins (fibers) create the matrix for CT.
Types of fibers:
| Tissue | Purpose | Components | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagenous fibers | - | Alpha polypeptide chains | tendon, ligament, skin, cornea, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, gut, and intervertebral disc. |
| Elastic fibers | - | elastic microfibril & elastin | extracellular matrix |
| Reticular fibers | - | Type-III collagen | liver, bone marrow, lymphatic organs |
Read more about this topic: Connective Tissue
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