Connective tissue

Section of epididymis. Connective tissue (blue) is seen supporting the epithelium (purple)
Hypermobility as a result of an inherited connective tissue defect.

One of the many basic types of animal tissue, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.

- Connective tissue
Section of epididymis. Connective tissue (blue) is seen supporting the epithelium (purple)

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NIH/3T3 Fibroblasts in cell culture

Fibroblast

Type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing.

Type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing.

NIH/3T3 Fibroblasts in cell culture
Microfilaments (blue and red), mitochondria (yellow), and nuclei (green ) in fibroblast cells.

Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals.

The Achilles tendon, one of the tendons in the human body (from Gray's Anatomy, 1st ed., 1858)

Tendon

The Achilles tendon, one of the tendons in the human body (from Gray's Anatomy, 1st ed., 1858)
Magnified view of a tendon
Ossified tendon from an Edmontosaurus bone bed in Wyoming (Lance Formation)

A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone.

Articular ligament

Ligament

Articular ligament
Hypermobile finger

Ligaments are similar to tendons and fasciae as they are all made of connective tissue.

Adipose tissue is one of the main types of connective tissue.

Adipose tissue

Adipose tissue is one of the main types of connective tissue.
Distribution of white adipose in the human body
The obese mouse on the left has large stores of adipose tissue. It is unable to produce the hormone leptin. This causes the mouse to be hungry and eat more, which results in obesity. For comparison, a mouse with a normal amount of adipose tissue is shown on the right.
Abdominal obesity in men ("beer belly")
Micro-anatomy of subcutaneous fat
Brown fat cell
Diagrammatic sectional view of the skin (magnified).
White adipose tissue in paraffin section
Electronic instrument of body fat meter

Adipose tissue, body fat, or simply fat is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes.

Tropocollagen molecule: three left-handed procollagens (red, green, blue) join to form a right-handed triple helical tropocollagen.

Collagen

Tropocollagen molecule: three left-handed procollagens (red, green, blue) join to form a right-handed triple helical tropocollagen.
Action of lysyl oxidase
Three polypeptides coil to form tropocollagen. Many tropocollagens then bind together to form a fibril, and many of these then form a fibre.
The D-period of collagen fibrils results in visible 67nm bands when observed by electron microscopy.
A salami and the collagen casing (below) it came in

Collagen is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues.

Types of epithelium

Epithelium

Types of epithelium
Summary showing different epithelial cells/tissues and their characteristics.
Forms of secretion in glandular tissue
Different characteristics of glands of the body
Epithelial cell infected with ''Chlamydia pneumoniae
Squamous epithelium 100x
Human cheek cells (Nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium) 500x
Histology of female urethra showing transitional epithelium
Histology of sweat gland showing stratified cuboidal epithelium

Epithelium is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue.

A bone dating from the Pleistocene Ice Age of an extinct species of elephant

Bone

For other uses, see Bone (disambiguation) or Bones (disambiguation).

For other uses, see Bone (disambiguation) or Bones (disambiguation).

A bone dating from the Pleistocene Ice Age of an extinct species of elephant
Cross-section details of a long bone
Micrograph of cancellous bone
Bone cells
Light micrograph of decalcified cancellous bone tissue displaying osteoblasts actively synthesizing osteoid, containing two osteocytes.
Transmission electron micrograph of decalcified woven bone matrix displaying characteristic irregular orientation of collagen fibers
Structure of a long bone
One way to classify bones is by their shape or appearance.
Endochondral ossification
Light micrograph of a section through a juvenile knee joint (rat) showing the cartilagineous growth plates
Radiography used to identify possible bone fractures after a knee injury
Reduced bone mineral density in Osteoporosis (R), increasing the likelihood of fractures
Human femurs and humerus from Roman period, with evidence of healed fractures
Skeletal fluorosis in a cow's leg, due to industrial contamination
Leg and pelvic girdle bones of bird
Bones of slaughtered cattle on a farm in Namibia
Cells in bone marrow
Scanning electron microscope of bone at 100× magnification
Structure detail of an animal bone

Bone tissue (osseous tissue), which is also called bone in the uncountable sense of that word, is hard tissue, a type of specialized connective tissue.

Two mast cells in bone marrow

Mast cell

Resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin.

Resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin.

Two mast cells in bone marrow
Illustration depicting mast cell activation and anaphylaxis
Mast cell
The role of mast cells in the development of allergy.
Structure of histamine
Structure of FcεR1 on mast cell. FcεR1 is a tetramer made of one alpha (α) chain, one beta (β) chain, and two gamma (γ) chains. IgE is binding to α chain, signal is transduced by ITAM motifs on β and γ chains.

Mast cells in rodents are classically divided into two subtypes: connective tissue-type mast cells and mucosal mast cells.

Illustration depicting white fat cells.

Adipocyte

Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells, are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in storing energy as fat.

Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells, are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in storing energy as fat.

Illustration depicting white fat cells.
A brown fat cell.
Yellow adipose tissue in paraffin.
Proteolytic activation of SREBF-controlled lipid biosynthesis.

Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into adipocytes, connective tissue, muscle or bone.

Aggrecan, the major proteoglycan in cartilage, has 2316 amino acids

Proteoglycan

Proteoglycans are proteins that are heavily glycosylated.

Proteoglycans are proteins that are heavily glycosylated.

Aggrecan, the major proteoglycan in cartilage, has 2316 amino acids

Proteoglycans occur in connective tissue.