The tissue level of organization

Connective, Muscle, and Nervous Tissues

Examples of connective tissue• Solid– Cartilage– Bone– Tendons– Ligaments– Fibrous tissues

• Fluid– Lymph– Blood

Connective tissue functions• Protection• Support• Separation / compartmentalization• Bind organs together• Energy storage

Loose connective tissue

Loose (Areolar) Connective Tissue

Loose connective tissue• Loosely woven fibers produced by fibroblasts• Three types of fibers– Collagenous (collagen): tough, parallel bundles– Elastic (elastin): smaller, still strong, can stretch– Reticular: v. thin branching strong support

Adipose tissue

Adipose tissue• Fat• Found within loose connective– Sub cutaneous = adipose + areolar

• Insulation and protection– Around kidneys, heart surface, joints, behind eye

Dense (regular) connective tissue

Dense connective tissue• Interwoven fibrous bundles• Main components of tendons, aponeuroses

and ligaments– Tendons connect muscles to bone– Aponeuroses are sheet like tendons– Ligaments connect bone to bone

Cartilage• Strong and resilient• Avascular• Growth• Chondrocytes divide• Chondroblasts become

chondrocytes

Types of cartilage• Hyaline, -most abundant in body

– Shock absorption– Embryonic skeleton– At ends of long bones (joints)– Ribs, nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles

• Fibrocartilage – V. strong and rigid– Symphysis pubis and between vertebrae

• Elastic – stretches and retains shape– Epiglottis, external ear, eustachian tubes

Bone

Muscle Tissue

Nervous Tissue