Connective Tissue - Anatomy and Physiology
- Which type of cartilage supports the external ear and the epiglottis?
- Elastic cartilage. Its many elastic fibers let it bend and return to shape.
- Which connective tissue type, with collagen bundles running in many directions, forms the reticular layer of the dermis?
- Dense irregular connective tissue. The interwoven bundles resist tension applied from many directions.
- Which type of cartilage covers the articular surfaces of long bones and forms the costal cartilages?
- Hyaline cartilage, the most abundant cartilage type, with fine collagen fibers in a glassy matrix.
- Which connective tissue fiber, built around the protein elastin, allows tissues to stretch and recoil?
- Elastic fibers. They are abundant in the walls of large arteries, the skin, and the lungs.
- Which glycosaminoglycan in ground substance binds large amounts of water and lubricates joints?
- Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan). It makes ground substance viscous and is a key component of synovial fluid.
- Which cell type secretes the fibers and ground substance of connective tissue proper?
- The fibroblast. Its less active form is called a fibrocyte.
- Which connective tissue type forms tendons and most ligaments?
- Dense regular connective tissue. Its tightly packed parallel collagen bundles resist pulling in one direction.
- Which embryonic tissue gives rise to all connective tissues?
- Mesenchyme, a loose embryonic tissue derived mainly from mesoderm.
- Which two components make up the extracellular matrix of connective tissue?
- Ground substance and protein fibers. The matrix, rather than the cells, gives most connective tissues their mechanical properties.
- Which connective tissue fiber provides the greatest tensile strength and is the most abundant protein in the body?
- Collagen fibers. They resist pulling forces in tendons, ligaments, and the dermis.
- Which fiber type forms a delicate branching network that supports soft organs such as lymph nodes and the spleen?
- Reticular fibers, which are thin fibers made of type III collagen.
- Which type of cartilage, found in intervertebral discs and the knee menisci, contains thick collagen bundles that resist compression?
- Fibrocartilage. It combines rows of chondrocytes with thick collagen fibers for strength and shock absorption.