Animal Models Of Connective Tissue Diseases
Marcos Rojkind in Connective Tissue in Health and Disease, 2017
Connective tissue, the macromolecular matrix which forms the scaffold for organized structure and growth in the body, consists of fibers, an interfibrillar matrix or ground substance, and the cellular components responsible for synthesis of the fibrillar and ground substance components. Connective tissue is ubiquitous in the body in its various forms, including the supporting and connecting fabric in soft tissues, the biomechanically important structures in the form of ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bones, and the vascular system conduits necessary for transport of the blood constituents. This great diversity of structure and function lends biochemical complexity even though many of the structural differences in these connective tissues represent more or less variations of similar molecular species in slightly different forms or in different amounts.
ENTRIES A–Z
Philip Winn in Dictionary of Biological Psychology, 2003
Connective tissue binds and supports other body tissues. Epithelia have tightly packed cells; connective tissue does not, having few cells embedded in a matrix of FIBRES. It is made of three types of fibres: collagenous fibres (rich in COLLAGEN and providing structural strength), elastic fibres (which give a degree of tension) and reticular fibres (also rich in collagen and proving binding to other structures). The main types of connective tissue are: (1) loose connective tissue (which acts to pack and bind tissues), (2) ADIPOSE tissue, which holds adipose cells (ADIPOCYTES), (3) fibrous connective tissue (which makes tendons that attach MUSCLES to bones), (4) cartilage (which has functions in certain joints and in some other specialized locations—the nasal septum, or between vertebrae in the spine), (5) bon, which is formed from collagen but has a high composition of calcium and other minerals causing it to ossify—to become bone, and (6) BLOOD which has some of the properties of connective tissue; it is essentially a collection of specialized cells supported in plasma. The MENINGES are specialized types of connective tissue.
Cells, Tissues and Organs
David Sturgeon in Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology for Healthcare Students, 2018
The next type of tissue is connective tissue and, as it name suggests, it connects and supports a number of internal structures. Examples of connective tissue include cartilage, tendons, ligaments, fat (adipose), bone and blood. Yes, blood, it seems odd but I’ll explain later. There are three broad categories of connective tissue: loose, dense and specialised. Loose connective tissue is typically found beneath epithelial membranes and glandular epithelium. It binds these tissues to other tissues and contributes to the formation of organs. The cells and fibres that make up loose connective tissue tend to have large spaces between them and contain a high proportion of fluid. It is the most common type of connective tissue and includes fat or adipose tissue (which, at the risk of contradicting myself, has a low percentage of water). Fat is located in a number of key places including beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat), around internal organs (visceral fat) and in the yellow bone marrow. It is made up of adipocytes (fat cells) which store energy (as triglycerides), preserve heat and act as a shock absorber for the structures they surround.
Novel understanding of high mobility group box-1 in the immunopathogenesis of incisional hernias
Published in Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, 2019
Nicholas K. Larsen, Matthew J. Reilly, Finosh G. Thankam, Robert J. Fitzgibbons, Devendra K. Agrawal
Connective tissue consists of many components which form a supportive network of fibrous components to anchor cells and proteins. Recent evidence has shown that the network can bind growth factors and cytokines to regulate cell function and wound repair [13]. The extracellular matrix (ECM) and connective tissue play an important role in the pathological and physiological components of wound healing. Wound healing is a dynamic and tightly regulated process that associates cellular, molecular, biochemical, and physiological events together, which start immediately after wounding and continues until the complete healing and restitution of the tissue functionality [14]. The wound healing process consists of three phases: inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling (Figure 1). The ECM has a major role in the latter two. The ECM has classically been considered to be the architectural foundation for cellular support, but current evidence suggests that it also plays a large role in many important cellular functions including proliferation, migration, protein degradation, and apoptosis [14].
Anatomic variations of the human falx cerebelli and its association with occipital venous sinuses
Published in British Journal of Neurosurgery, 2021
Safiye Çavdar, Bilgehan Solmaz, Özgül Taniş, Orhan Ulas Guler, Hakkı Dalçık, Evren Aydoğmuş, Leyla Altunkaya, Erdoğan Kara, Hızır Aslıyüksek
Falx cerebelli, is composed of fibroelastic, dense irregular connective tissue. The connective tissue consisted of cells predominantly of fibroblast which produced the ground substance and collagen fibers. Additionally, the connective tissue contained sensory nerve endings and blood vessels. The arterioles were composed of 1–2 layers of smooth muscle cells in the tunica media and the venules were composed of a single layer of endothelium with many erythrocytes in their lumens (Figure 10a). Furthermore, a large number of lymphatic vessels appeared to be undulated with a single layer of endothelium and a subendothelial layer (Figure 10b). Extravagated lymphocytes surrounding the lymphatic vessels were observed (Figure 10b). Near the vessels, a peripheral nerve characteristically formed a round bundle of nerve processes surrounded by connective tissue sheath perineurium was detected (Figure 10a).
The lived experience of Joint Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes: a systematic review and thematic synthesis
Published in Physical Therapy Reviews, 2019
Sarah E. Bennett, Nicola Walsh, Tim Moss, Shea Palmer
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) are heritable disorders of connective tissue [1]. Connective tissue acts like a ‘glue’, supporting and binding together various structures within the body. The defects in connective tissue affect the skin, blood vessels and ligaments [2,3]. Symptoms include joint instability, increased range of movement, easy bruising and joint pain [4]. Increased incidences of fibromyalgia [5], dysautonomia [6] and urinary [7] and gastrointestinal problems [8] have also been reported. EDS has six main subtypes (with the most common Hypermobility Type (EDS-HT, formerly Type III) considered to be the same as JHS; the terms are used interchangeably throughout the literature [3]. International classification for EDSs has recently been revised, with the terms Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), replacing Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobility Type (EDS-HT) and JHS, respectively [9]. Historical and geographical variations in diagnostic criteria and nosology for JHS and EDS can make comparing research difficult. At the time of the review, the revised 2017 nosology had yet to been published. As all the studies had been conducted prior to the changes in nosology, all still used the terms JHS, EDS and EDS-HT, therefore these were the terms used throughout the review. For consistency, we will use the combined term JHS/EDS-HT, except where authors have used one term specifically.