Set 1, Slide 33, Smear, Lightfield

Frog

Blood
Epidermic Cell

Blood

Fish
Frog
Human

These tiny bubbly things are a frog's red blood cells. Human's red
blood cells seem to have white dots at the middle while the frog's have
black. See comparisons of frog, fish, and human red blood cells.

Shape of Red Blood Cell

Most human red blood cells that I've seen are circular. But, these froggy versions are more
elliptical in nature. Some are strange yet.

Image Data Description

Most of these are elliptical. But, every now and then, one
seems to want to take on the appearance of a tadpole. You
400x might notice a few that "nucleii" that seem to have escaped
their cells. I don't have much of an explanation for this.

And here's one that's pear shaped. Notice that while most of
the nucleii are smooth, some look rather bumpy along their
400x
edges.

Frog Epidermis Cell looks like a skin of cheetah; there are countless numbers of black
dots on it.
Data Description

100x When the black dots are focused closely, its shape is kind of spiky. Since there are
some black dots that are not clear, the cell seems to be composed of two layers.

200x At the edge of the cell, the surface of the cell has different color than the
background of the image.

200x Some black dots are similar to maple tree leaves. Interestingly, at the right bottom,
the circular shaped wholes are formed by two black dots.

Based on the work of Hans Ussing (Danish) and Earnst

Huf (German.) These experiments rely upon the fact
that frogs which live in freshwater have a permeable
skin through which many small molecules will easily
pass, such as respiratory gases, and water. Since
their bodily fluids are hypertonic to the surrounding
water, water will tend to enter the animal by
osmosis. To avoid overfilling and subsequent
bursting, the frog must produce large amounts of a
very dillute urine using the kidney. Even an efficient
kidney will not be able to recover all of the salts
used in the production of the urine so some salt will
be lost to the environment as the water is excreted.
So, in order to replace this salt, the frog skin is
equiped to pump sodium chloride from the
freshwater into the animal. It is this active transport
that we will examine.

Why are we interested in this at this stage of the

course? It gives us a way of modelling the processes
involved in establishing resting potentials in nerves.
There is different types of squamous epithelium: simple
and stratified. The function of simple squamous
epithelium: It is good for the passage of materials via
diffusion. For example, it forms the tiny air sacs of
the lungs and the walls of capillaries. It also forms
the smooth, friction-reducing interior lining of the
heart, blood vessels, thoracic cavity, and abdominal
cavity. The function of the stratifed squamous
epithelium: It functions to protect underlying tissues
in areas subjected to abrasion. The keratinized type
forms the outermost layer of the skin, where it
functions to prevent water loss. The nonkeratinized
variety forms the moist linings of the
mouth,esophagus, anus, vagina.

White Holes
The spiky dots form circular white holes. These several white holes does not seem just
wholes; it seems to something going on there.

Image Data Description

200x When the condenser is lowered, it seems to increase the contrast. When the contrast
is increased, there are circular lines inside the holes.
400x The circular white spaces look like bubbles that are about to be popped. In the
negative space, there are other structures formed by lines.

At 1000x magnification, even it is clear that there is something in the white hole.

NAME
_________________________________________
Dissection Instructions
1. Place the frog in the dissecting pan ventral side up.

2. Use scissors to life the abdominal muscles away from the body cavity.
Cut along the midline of the body from the pelvic to the pectoral girdle.

3. Make transverse (horizontal) cuts near the arms and legs.

4. Life the flaps of the body wall and pin back.

*If your specimen is a female, the body may be filled with eggs and an
enlarged ovary. You may need to remove these eggs to view the organs.

Locate each of the organs below. Check the box to

indicate that you found the organs.
Fat Bodies --Spaghetti shaped structures that have a bright orange or yellow color, if you have a
particularly fat frog, these fat bodies may need to be removed to see the other structures. Usually they are
located just on the inside of the abdominal wall.
Peritoneum A spider web like membrane that covers many of the organs, you may have to carefully pick it
off to get a clear view
Liver--The largest structure of the the body cavity. This brown colored organ is composed of three parts, or
lobes. The right lobe, the left anterior lobe, and the left posterior lobe. The liver is not primarily an
organ of digestion, it does secrete a digestive juice called bile. Bile is needed for the proper digestion of
fats.
Heart - at the top of the liver, the heart is a triangular structure. The left and right atrium can be found at
the top of the heart. A single ventricle located at the bottom of the heart. The large vessel extending out
from the heart is the conus arteriosis.
Lungs - Locate the lungs by looking underneath and behind the heart and liver. They are two spongy
organs.
Gall bladder--Lift the lobes of the liver, there will be a small green sac under the liver. This is the gall
bladder, which stores bile. (hint: it kind of looks like a booger)
Stomach--Curving from underneath the liver is the stomach. The stomach is the first major site of
chemical digestion. Frogs swallow their meals whole. Follow the stomach to where it turns into the small
intestine. The pyloric sphincter valve regulates the exit of digested food from the stomach to the small
intestine.
Small Intestine--Leading from the stomach. The first straight portion of the small intestine is called the
duodenum, the curled portion is the ileum. The ileum is held together by a membrane called the
mesentery. Note the blood vessels running through the mesentery, they will carry absorbed nutrients away
from the intestine. Absorption of digested nutrients occurs in the small intestine.
Large Intestine--As you follow the small intestine down, it will widen into the large intestine. The large
intestine is also known as the cloaca in the frog. The cloaca is the last stop before wastes, sperm, or urine
exit the frog's body. (The word "cloaca" means sewer)
Spleen--Return to the folds of the mesentery, this dark red spherical object serves as a holding area for
blood.

Esophagus--Return to the stomach and follow it upward, where it gets smaller is the beginning of the
esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that leads from the frogs mouth to the stomach. Open the frogs
mouth and find the esophagus, poke your probe into it and see where it leads.

STOP! If you have not located each of the organs above, do not continue
on to the next sections!

Removal of the Stomach: Cut the stomach out of the frog and open it up. You
may find what remains of the frog's last meal in there. Look at the texture of the
stomach on the inside.

What did you find in the stomach?

Measuring the Small intestine: Remove the small intestine from the body cavity
and carefully separate the mesentery from it. Stretch the small intestine out and
measure it. Now measure your frog. Record the measurements below in
centimeters.

Frog length: _______ cm Intestine length ________ cm

Urogenital System - The frog's reproductive and excretory system is combined into one
system called the urogenital system. You will need to know the structures for both the
male and female frog,
Kidneys - flattened bean shaped organs located at the lower back of the frog, near the
spine. They are often a dark color. The kidneys filter wastes from the blood.

Testes - in male frogs, these organs are located at the top of the kidneys, they are pale
colored and roundish.

Oviducts - females do not have testes, though you may see a curly-q type structure
around the outside of the kidney, these are the oviducts. Oviducts are where eggs are
produced. Males can have structures that look similar, but serve no actual purpose. In
males, they are called vestigial oviducts.

Bladder - An empty sac located at the lowest part of the body cavity. The bladder stores
urine.

Cloaca - mentioned again as part of the urogenital system - urine, sperm and eggs exit
here.

Label the parts of the urogenital system below.

Post Lab Questions

1. The membrane holds the coils of the small intestine together:

________________
2. This organ is found under the liver, it stores bile: ______________________
3. Name the 3 lobes of the liver: ____________, _______________,
______________
4. The organ that is the first major site of chemical digestion:
____________________
5. Eggs, sperm, urine and wastes all empty into this structure:
___________________
6. The small intestine leads to the: ____________________
7. The esophagus leads to the: _______________________
8. Yellowish structures that serve as an energy reserve:
____________________
9. The first part of the small intestine(straight part): _______________________
10. After food passes through the stomach it enters the:
____________________
11. A spiderweb like membrane that covers the organs:
______________________
12. Regulates the exit of partially digested food from the stomach:
________________
13. The large intestine leads to the __________________
14. Organ found within the mesentery that stores blood:
_____________________
15. The largest organ in the body cavity: _____________________

Label the Diagram

A. __________________________________

B. __________________________________

C. __________________________________

D. __________________________________

E. __________________________________

F. __________________________________

G. __________________________________

H. __________________________________

I. __________________________________

J. __________________________________

K. __________________________________

L. __________________________________

M. __________________________________

N. __________________________________

Unlike humans, frogs do not store fat next to the skin. Frogs store fat for
winter in fat bodies inside the body
cavity. If your frog was collected late in
the year, the body cavity may be full of
these orange fat bodies.
Cartilage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Histological appearance of hyaline cartilage under partially polarized light.

Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is composed of specialized cells called

chondrocytes that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of collagen
fibers, abundant ground substance rich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Cartilage is
classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, which
differ in the relative amounts of these three main components.

Cartilage is found in many areas in the body including the articular surface of the bones,
the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs. Its
mechanical properties are intermediate between bone and dense connective tissue like
tendon.

Unlike other connective tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. The
chondrocytes are fed by diffusion, helped by the pumping action generated by
compression of the articular cartilage or flexion of the elastic cartilage. Thus, compared
to other connective tissues, cartilage grows and repairs more slowly.

Contents
[hide]
1 Types of cartilage
o 1.1 Hyaline cartilage
o 1.2 Elastic cartilage
o 1.3 Fibrocartilage
2 Growth and development
3 Diseases and treatment
o 3.1 Repair
4 Cartilage in animals
o 4.1 Cartilaginous fish
o 4.2 Invertebrate cartilage
5 See also
 6 References

7 External links

[edit] Types of cartilage

[edit] Hyaline cartilage

Hyaline cartilage is a rather hard, translucent material rich in collagen and proteoglycan.
It covers the end of bones to form the smooth articular surface of joints. It is also found in
the nose, the larynx and between the ribs and the sternum. Bones grow via a hyaline
cartilage intermediate, a process called Endochondral ossification.

[edit] Elastic cartilage

Elastic cartilage contains large amounts of elastic fibers (elastin) scattered throughout the
matrix. It is stiff yet elastic, and is important to prevent tubular structures from
collapsing. Elastic cartilage is found in the pinna of the ear, in tubular structures such as
the auditory (Eustachian) tubes and in the epiglottis.

[edit] Fibrocartilage

Fibrocartilage is the most common form of cartilage by weight. It is characterized by a

dense network of Type I collagen. It is a white, very tough material that provides high
tensile strength and support. It contains more collagen and less proteoglycan than hyaline
cartilage. Thus, its properties are closer to those of tendon than hyaline cartilage. It is
present in areas most subject to frequent stress like intervertebral discs, the symphysis
pubis and the attachments of certain tendons and ligaments.

[edit] Growth and development

Main article: Chondrogenesis

In embryogenesis, the skeletal system is derived from the mesoderm germ layer.
Chondrification (also known as chondrogenesis) is the process by which cartilage is
formed from condensed mesenchyme tissue, which differentiates into chondrocytes and
begins secreting the molecules that form the extracellular matrix.

[edit] Diseases and treatment

Main article: Chondropathy
There are several diseases which can affect the cartilage. Chondrodystrophies are a group
of diseases characterized by disturbance of growth and subsequent ossification of
cartilage. Some common diseases affecting/involving the cartilage are listed below.

Osteoarthritis: The cartilage covering bones (articular cartilage) is thinned,

eventually completely worn out, resulting in a "bone against bone" joint, reduced
motion and pain. Osteoarthritis is very common, affects the joints exposed to high
stress and is therefore considered the result of "wear and tear" rather than a true
disease. It is treated by Arthroplasty, the replacement of the joint by a synthetic
joint made of titanium and teflon. Chondroitin sulfate, a monomer of the
polysaccharide portion of proteoglycan, has been shown to reduce the symptoms
of osteoarthritis, possibly by increasing the synthesis of the extracellular matrix.
Traumatic rupture or detachment: The cartilage in the knee is frequently damaged,
and can be partially repaired through knee cartilage replacement therapy
Achondroplasia: Reduced proliferation of chondrocytes in the epiphyseal plate of
long bones during infancy and childhood, resulting in dwarfism.
Costochondritis: Inflammation of cartilage in the ribs, causing chest pain.
Spinal disc herniation : Asymmetrical compression of an intervertebral disc
ruptures the sac-like disc, causing a herniation of its soft content. The hernia
compresses the adjacent nerves and causes back pain.
Relapsing polychondritis: a destruction, probably autoimmune, of cartilage,
especially of the nose and ears, causing disfiguration. Death occurs by suffocation
as the larynx loses its rigidity and collapses.

Tumors made up of cartilage tissue, either benign or malignant, can occur. They usually
appear in bone, rarely in pre-existing cartilage. The benign tumors are called chondroma,
the malignant ones chondrosarcoma. Tumors arising from other tissues may also produce
a cartilage-like matrix, the best known being pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary
glands.

The matrix of cartilage acts as a barrier, preventing the entry of lymphocytes or diffusion
of immunoglobulins. This property allows for the transplantation of cartilage from one
individual to another without fear of tissue rejection.

[edit] Repair

- Once damaged, cartilage has limited repair capabilities. Because chondrocytes are
bound in lacunae, they cannot migrate to damaged areas. Also, because hyaline cartilage
does not have a blood supply, the deposition of new matrix is slow. Damaged hyaline
cartilage is usually replaced by fibrocartilage scar tissue. Over the last years, surgeons
and scientist have elaborated a series of cartilage repair procedures that help to postpone
the need for joint replacement..

Bioengineering techniques are being developed to generate new cartilage, using a cellular
"scaffolding" material and cultured cells to grow artificial cartilage
[edit] Cartilage in animals
[edit] Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish (chondrichthyes) like sharks, rays and skates have a skeleton composed
entirely of cartilage. Shark cartilage is a popular but unproven dietary supplement.

[edit] Invertebrate cartilage

Cartilage tissue can also be found among invertebrates such as horseshoe crabs, marine
snails, and cephalopods.

Connective tissue
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Connective tissue is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications (the
others being epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissue). It is largely a category of exclusion
rather than one with a precise definition, but all or most tissues in this category are
similarly:

Involved in structure and support.

Derived from mesoderm, usually.
Characterized largely by the traits of non-living tissue.

Blood, cartilage, and bone are usually considered connective tissue, but because they
differ so substantially from the other tissues in this class, the phrase "connective tissue
proper" is commonly used to exclude those three. There is also variation in the
classification of embryonic connective tissues; on this page they will be treated as a third
and separate category.

Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant
protein in mammals, making up about 25% of the total protein content.[1]

Contents
[hide]
1 Classification
o 1.1 Connective tissue proper
o 1.2 Specialized connective tissues
o 1.3 Embryonic connective tissues
2 Fiber types
3 Disorders of connective tissue
 4 Staining of connective tissue
5 References

6 External links

[edit] Classification
The old classification system for connective tissue is proper versus specialized. There has
been a new classifications system proposed, however, and it is as follows:

Loose connective tissue

Areolar
Adipose
Reticular

Dense connective tissue

Regular
Irregular
Elastic

Cartilage

Hyaline
Fibrocartilage
Elastic

Other

Bone
Blood
Lymphatics

[edit] Connective tissue proper

Connective tissue proper

Areolar (or loose) connective tissue holds organs and epithelia in place, and has a
variety of proteinaceous fibers, including collagen and elastin.
 Fibrous connective tissue forms ligaments and tendons. Its densely packed
collagen fibers have great tensile strength.

[edit] Specialized connective tissues

Specialized connective tissues

Blood functions in transport. Its extracellular matrix is blood plasma, which
transports dissolved nutrients, hormones, and carbon dioxide in the form of
bicarbonate. The main cellular component is red blood cells.
Bone makes up virtually the entire skeleton in adult vertebrates.
Cartilage makes up virtually the entire skeleton in chondrichthyes. In most other
vertebrates, it is found primarily in joints, where it provides cushioning. The
extracellular matrix of cartilage is composed primarily of collagen.
Adipose tissue contains adipocytes, used for cushioning, thermal insulation,
lubrication (primarily in the pericardium) and energy storage.
Reticular connective tissue is a network of reticular fibres (fine collagen, type III)
that form a soft skeleton to support the lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, bone
marrow, and spleen.)

[edit] Embryonic connective tissues

Mesenchymal connective tissue
Mucous connective tissue

[edit] Fiber types

Fiber types as follows:

collagenous fibers
elastic fibers
reticular fibers

[edit] Disorders of connective tissue

Main article: Connective tissue disease

Various connective tissue conditions have been identified; these can be both inherited and
environmental.
 Marfan syndrome - a genetic disease causing abnormal fibrillin.
Scurvy - caused by a dietary deficiency in vitamin C, leading to abnormal
collagen.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome - deficient type III collagen- a genetic disease causing
progressive deterioration of collagens, with different EDS types affecting different
sites in the body, such as joints, heart valves, organ walls, arterial walls, etc.
Loeys-Dietz syndrome - a genetic disease related to Marfan syndrome, with an
emphasis on vascular deterioration.
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum - an autosomal recessive hereditary disease, caused by
calcification and fragmentation of elastic fibres, affecting the skin, the eyes and
the cardiovascular system.
Systemic lupus erythematosus - a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disorder of
probable autoimmune etiology, occurring predominantly in young women.
Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) - caused by insufficient production
of good quality collagen to produce healthy, strong bones.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva - disease of the connective tissue, caused by
a defective gene which turns connective tissue into bone.
Spontaneous pneumothorax - collapsed lung, believed to be related to subtle
abnormalities in connective tissue.
Sarcoma - a neoplastic process originating within connective tissue.

Fibrous connective tissue

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Types of connective tissue

In zootomy, fibrous connective tissue (FCT) is a type of connective tissue which has
relatively high tensile strength, due to a relatively high concentration of collagenous
fibers. Such tissues form ligaments and tendons; the majority of the tissue does not
contain living cells, the tissue is primarily composed of polysaccharides, proteins, and
water.

The cells of fibrous connective tissue are mostly fibroblasts, irregular, branching cells
that secrete strong fibrous proteins as an extracellular matrix. The most commonly
secreted protein is collagen which represents one-fourth of all vertebrate protein.
Collagen is tough and flexible and gives strength to tissue. Elastin fibres are thinner than
collagen fibres and are also secreted by fibroblasts. These protein fibres have longer
cross-links than collagen fibres, which gives elastin fibres great elasticity.

[edit] Types
There are several categories of fibrous connective tissue:

Loose connective tissue supports most epithelia and many organs. It also
surrounds blood vessels and nerves. It is also found between muscles
Dense connective tissue has collagen fibres as its main matrix element.
Elastic connective tissue is primarily composed of elastin fibres, giving them
great elasticity. It appears in the walls of the aorta.
Reticular connective tissue is composed of interlacing fibers of collagen called
reticular fibers. This tissue forms supporting structures for many organs, such as
the spleen and thymus.252

[edit] See also

Electron microscopy reveals that collagen fibers are composed of parallel bundles of
small fibrils with diameters ranging from 20 to 100 nm (0.001 micrometre = 1
nanometre). Collagen fibrils typically have diameters which are multiples of 8 nm that
may show the manner in which they grow radially. Collagen microfibrils (even smaller
structures that make up fibrils) may appear to have a tubular structure with an electron-
lucent lumen (appearing empty under the electron microscope).
Collagen fibrils are formed from long tropocollagen molecules which are staggered in
arrangement but tightly bound laterally by covalent chemical bonds. For electron
microscopy, when negatively stained with heavy metals that spread into the spaces
between the ends of molecules, collagen fibrils appear to be transversely striated. The
periodicity of these striations is 67 nm but often shrinks to 64 nm as samples are
processed for examination. Although collagen fibers are located outside the cell, the
initial stages of collagen fibril assembly may be within the cell, with fibril morphology
being regulated by a special site on the fibroblast membrane (cells that form connective
tissue fibers are called fibroblasts).

BOYS

Earvin Justin Giron:

weLL.. xa lng nmn ang heartthrob ng section! [may esie na, may maikka pa at may
rochell pa! akalain mo yun!]
 Aaron Ramirez:
hanep sa hand stand! mala-Bugoy ang kanyang boses sa pagkanta.. [laging may
KULOT.. hehe]

Ian Daniell Santos:

immature kung titingnan.. pero super matured na kung maig-isip!

Froiland Timpoc:
hanep sa basketball skills!
number 1 "mang-aasar" ng section!

GIRLS

Rochell Angeles:
super tahimik pero don't be surprise na may Justin Giron xa!
[san ka pa?!]

Maria Elaidia Barria:

first newby sa section nmen..
weLL, magaling lng nmn xang kumanta, magsayaw at umarte..
[artista ata! hehe]

Alpha Agape Myrizzia Colocado:

"you'll always be a part of me.."
future David Cook! haha..

Isidra Cruto:
aHm?? wla na cla ni justina m. eh! panu na yun??
[hehe, peace esie! -viel ]

Jessica Nia Cuapiaco:

gnda ng hair! hehe..
one of the jewel sis; Assahi!
uUuumm, saRap! [tama ba?]

Chala Joy Dela Via:

hanep sa bangs!
wag niu guguluhin buhok nia
kundi mgglit yan..

Maria Jennifer Estrella:

one of the jewel sis..
"coOl ka lng, cOol ka lng.."
don't be hot jen.. hehe..
 Alpha Joanna Gavenia:
one of the jewel sis..
weLL, she's JUST a pretty cute young lady.. hehe,
[npka-positive ng description oh! haha]

Darleen Hernandez:
one of the jewel sis;
headband fever 1!
"hey, pay the water now.."
[in cute little voice nia han ha, hehe]

Maikka Ilagan:
friend ni Tenten, friend ni Katrina, friend EJ.. sadyang FRIENDLY lng xa! -XD-

Katrianne Luz Obillo:

matalino xa, infernez! haha..
aNak DAW ni ma'am Rhea..
[they actually look like sisters, aight?]

Pamela Anne Pasion:

"the more you HIT, the more you LOVE!"
[c aaron un!] their tandem is what we call "violently sweet"
tira-tira!

Blessille Claire Perea:

hanep ang tawa nito!
mayayanig ang buong CNSHS.. hehehe! ; responsible BISE-P ng Filipino Club..

Kathleen Mae Prado:

matAlino xa, to the highest level! can't be reached! XD

Katrina Anne Marc Riman:

"you rock!" \m/
one of our singers sa classroom!

Sheila May Ruiz:

P.U.S.I.T.!! wiwit!
status: missing DENMARK!!
kaakibat ni Froi sa ingay at pang-aasar!

Karen Vie San Juan:

second newby sa section..
emotional xa, infernez to her.. hehe.. don't worry! you're now a part of us, di ka na
iba sa'men..
can we be friends? hehe,
 Jia Andrei Telmo:
hanep din sa hand stand!
kahit na bumagsak, go go pa rin!
she's a good leader of us..

Viellka Villadolid:
kikay pero mabait.. haha! [sv ni aaron yan!] headband fever 2! wuhuu!

Karissa Villanueva:
steady President ng Nitrogen Class for 3 school years! astig noh!

Ria Marcelle Vivo:

"dancing secretary"
hehe, gling sumayaw eh! [kaya inggit c sheila eh!]

Fibrous connective tissue

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Types of connective tissue

In zootomy, fibrous connective tissue (FCT) is a type of connective tissue which has
relatively high tensile strength, due to a relatively high concentration of collagenous
fibers. Such tissues form ligaments and tendons; the majority of the tissue does not
contain living cells, the tissue is primarily composed of polysaccharides, proteins, and
water.

The cells of fibrous connective tissue are mostly fibroblasts, irregular, branching cells
that secrete strong fibrous proteins as an extracellular matrix. The most commonly
secreted protein is collagen which represents one-fourth of all vertebrate protein.
Collagen is tough and flexible and gives strength to tissue. Elastin fibres are thinner than
collagen fibres and are also secreted by fibroblasts. These protein fibres have longer
cross-links than collagen fibres, which gives elastin fibres great elasticity.

[edit] Types
There are several categories of fibrous connective tissue:

Loose connective tissue supports most epithelia and many organs. It also
surrounds blood vessels and nerves. It is also found between muscles
Dense connective tissue has collagen fibres as its main matrix element.
Elastic connective tissue is primarily composed of elastin fibres, giving them
great elasticity. It appears in the walls of the aorta.
Reticular connective tissue is composed of interlacing fibers of collagen called
reticular fibers. This tissue forms supporting structures for many organs, such as
the spleen and thymus.252

[edit] See also

Electron microscopy reveals that collagen fibers are composed of parallel bundles of
small fibrils with diameters ranging from 20 to 100 nm (0.001 micrometre = 1
nanometre). Collagen fibrils typically have diameters which are multiples of 8 nm that
may show the manner in which they grow radially. Collagen microfibrils (even smaller
structures that make up fibrils) may appear to have a tubular structure with an electron-
lucent lumen (appearing empty under the electron microscope).
Collagen fibrils are formed from long tropocollagen molecules which are staggered in
arrangement but tightly bound laterally by covalent chemical bonds. For electron
microscopy, when negatively stained with heavy metals that spread into the spaces
between the ends of molecules, collagen fibrils appear to be transversely striated. The
periodicity of these striations is 67 nm but often shrinks to 64 nm as samples are
processed for examination. Although collagen fibers are located outside the cell, the
initial stages of collagen fibril assembly may be within the cell, with fibril morphology
being regulated by a special site on the fibroblast membrane (cells that form connective
tissue fibers are called fibroblasts).