5.3.2: Connective Tissue Proper

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Rosanna Hartline
West Hills College Lemoore

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Connective Tissue Proper

Connective Tissue Proper - Loose Connective Tissue

Type of Connective Tissue Proper - Loose	Features & Locations
areolar tissue	Areolar tissue has many different cell types and a random arrangement of protein fibers with space between the fibers. This tissue fills spaces around the organs and attaches the skin to underlying tissues. Top image is magnified by 200x. Bottom image is magnified by 400x.
adipose tissue	Adipose tissue has adipocytes filled with very large fat-containing vacuoles and very little extracellular matrix. Adipose protects body structures, stores energy in the form of fats (lipids), and insulates. Top image is magnified by 200x. Bottom image is magnified by 400x.
reticular tissue	Reticular tissue is composed of a network of reticular fibers and is found in lymphatic tissue, bone marrow, and the liver. Tissue is magnified by 400x.

Type of Connective Tissue Proper - Loose

Features & Locations

areolar tissue

Microscopic image of areolar tissue.

Areolar tissue has many different cell types and a random arrangement of protein fibers with space between the fibers. This tissue fills spaces around the organs and attaches the skin to underlying tissues.

Top image is magnified by 200x.

Bottom image is magnified by 400x.

adipose tissue

Adipose tissue has adipocytes filled with very large fat-containing vacuoles and very little extracellular matrix. Adipose protects body structures, stores energy in the form of fats (lipids), and insulates.

Top image is magnified by 200x.

Bottom image is magnified by 400x.

reticular tissue

Microscopic image of reticular tissue.

Reticular tissue is composed of a network of reticular fibers and is found in lymphatic tissue, bone marrow, and the liver.

Tissue is magnified by 400x.

Connective Tissue Proper - Dense Connective Tissue

Type of Connective Tissue Proper - Dense	Features & Locations
dense regular tissue	Dense regular connective tissues are composed of fibers regularly arranged in one direction including tendons and most ligaments. Elastic fibers are more prevalent in the ligaments of the vertebrae. Tissue is of a tendon. Tissue is magnified by 200x.
dense irregular tissue	Dense irregular connective tissues have fibers organized in many directions and is found as capsules of organs and in the dermis of skin. Tissue is magnified by 400x.
elastic	Dense elastic connective tissues contain elastic fibers providing more stretch. These tissues are found in the large arteries such as the aorta.

Type of Connective Tissue Proper - Dense

Features & Locations

dense regular tissue

Microscopic image of dense regular connective tissue.

Dense regular connective tissues are composed of fibers regularly arranged in one direction including tendons and most ligaments. Elastic fibers are more prevalent in the ligaments of the vertebrae.

Tissue is of a tendon. Tissue is magnified by 200x.

dense irregular tissue

Microscopic image of dense irregular connective tissue.

Dense irregular connective tissues have fibers organized in many directions and is found as capsules of organs and in the dermis of skin.

Tissue is magnified by 400x.

elastic

Microscopic image of dense elastic connective tissue.

Dense elastic connective tissues contain elastic fibers providing more stretch. These tissues are found in the large arteries such as the aorta.

Attributions (All Connective Tissues Sections)

"Anatomy and Physiology" by J. Gordon Betts et al., OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0
"Anatomy and Physiology I Lab" by Victoria Vidal is licensed under CC BY 4.0
"Animal Tissues and Organs" by Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library is in the Public Domain, CC0
"BIOL 250 Human Anatomy Lab Manual SU 19" by Yancy Aquino, Skyline College is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
"Digital Histology" by Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology and the Office of Faculty Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and the ALT Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University is licensed under CC BY 4.0
"Human eye iris 3" by Kamil Saitov is licensed under CC BY 4.0