Connective Tissue

Types of Fibres

1. Collagen Fibres

• Long wavy bundle of Fibres
• Not branching
• Seen in bone, Cartilage, Tendon, and Ligament giving strength to structures.

2. Elastic Fibres

• Short
• Straight
• Single
• Branching

3. Reticular Fibres

• This is a type three collagen Fibres.
• Network of Fibres Giving framework which can be seen in organs like lymphoid organs ( Liver, Spleen, Lymph nodes).

Types of Connective Tissue

1. Loose connective tissue

• Fibers create loose, open frameworks.
• Areolar tissue
• Adipose tissue
• Reticular tissue

2. Dense connective tissue

• Fibers are densely packed.
• Dense regular tissue.
• Dense Irregular tissue.
• Elastic tissue.

1. Loose Areolar Connective Tissue

• Has less collagen fibers.
• More in cells like Fibrocytes, Macrophages, Mast Cell.
• Ex: Sub-epithelial connective tissue: Lamina propia.
• Other Fibers like elastic fibers are also present.

2. Reticular Loose Connective Tissue

Location : mainly lymphatic organs

• Liver
• Spleen
• Lymph Nodes
• Bone Marrow
• Kidney

Exception :

Reticular Loose Connective Tissue is not present in Thymus which is also a lymphoid Organ.

• Shorter branching fibers are present.
• Providing Supporting Frameworks.

3. Dense Regular Connective Tissue

• Has more and dense collagen fibers.
• Collagen Fibers run parallel to each other in a regular fashion.
• Found in:
  • Tendons
  • Ligaments
  • Aponeurosis (Flat Tendon).
• Bundles of collagen fibers are regular and parallel to each other.

4. Dense Irregular Connective Tissue

• Collagen Fibers are present.
• Do not run parallel to each other.
• Hence, called Irregular connective tissue.
• Location:
  • Capsules of visceral organs.
  • Periosteum and Perichondrium.
  • Nerve and Muscle Sheaths.
  • Deep Reticular layer of Dermis.