Page 49 - Headlines Histology2024_Neat

2. Dense regular elastic (elastic ligaments)

• It consists of branching and interconnected parallel elastic fibers surrounded
by loose connective tissue (e.g., ligamentum nuchae and the elastic fascia of
the abdominal muscle of herbivores).

III) Reticular connective tissue

• It is made up of stellate reticular cells and a complex network of delicate
thin branched and anastomosed reticular fibers.

• It forms a delicate supportive framework for many highly cellular organs
such as endocrine glands, liver and lymphoreticular organs (tonsils, spleen,
and lymph nodes).

IV) Adipose tissue

• It is a special type of connective tissue designed to perform many functions
such as mechanical protection, thermal insulation and body metabolism.

• There are two types of adipose tissue white and brown adipose tissues.
a. White adipose tissue

• It is distributed throughout the body especially in the deep layer of the skin
and around the kidneys.

• White fat is divided by septa of loose connective tissue into clusters of
adipose cells known as lobules.

• A delicate network of collagen and reticular fibers that support a dense
capillary plexus and nerve fibers surrounds each adipocyte. In addition, the
narrow intercellular spaces contain a few fibrocytes, mast cells, and scanty
amorphous ground substance.

• Fat stored in adipocytes as single large droplet (monolocular fat cell) which
occupies most of the cytoplasm. The nucleus is compressed and displaced
to one side of the cytoplasm giving the cells their characteristic signet ring
appearance.

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