Connective Tissue

The connective tissue is specialised to connect and anchor various body organs, muscles to bones, blind tissues and can also give support to various parts of body by creating a packing around organs. The packing would prevent the organs from getting displaced by body movements. Thus, the main functions of connective tissue are binding, supporting, and packing together different organs of the body.

The cells of connective tissue are living, separated from each other (i.e., loosely spaced ) and low in number. Homogeneous, gel-like intercellular substance called medium or matrix forms the main bulk of the connective tissue.

Thus, space between cells is filled with a non-living matrix which may be solid as in bone and cartilage and fluid as in the blood. The matrix may be jelly like, fluid, dense or rigid. The nature of matrix differs in concordance with the function of the particular connective tissue.

Blood:-

• Blood has a fluid (liquid) matrix called plasma, in which red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets are suspended. The plasma contains proteins, salts and hormones .Blood flows and transports gases, digested food, hormones and waste materials to different parts of the body.
• Blood transports nutrients, hormones and vitamins to the tissue and transports excretory products from the tissue to the liver and kidney.
• The red blood corpuscles (RBCs) carry oxygen to the tissues for the oxidation of food stuff.
• The white blood cells (WBCs) fight disease either by engulfing and destroying foreign bodies or by producing antitoxins and antibodies that neutralise the harmful effects of germs.
• Blood platelets disintegrated at the site of injury and help in the clotting of blood.

Bone:-

• Bone is another example of connective tissue. It forms the framework that supports the body. It also anchors the muscles and supports the main organs of the body. it is a strong and nonflexible tissue .
• It is porous, highly vascular, mineralised, hard and rigid. Its matrix is made up of proteins.
• Bone cells are embedded in a hard matrix that is composed of calcium and phosphorus compounds.
• Two bones can be connected to each other by another type of connective tissue called the ligaments. This tissue is very elastic. It has considerable strength.
• Ligaments contain very little matrix.
• Tendons connect muscles to bones and are another type of connective tissue. Tendons are fibrous tissue with great strength but limited flexibility.

Cartilage:-

• The cartilage is a specialised connective which is compact and less vascular. It has widely spaced out cells. Its extensive matrix is composed of proteins, and is slightly hardened by calcium salts. Cartilage smoothens bone surfaces at joints and is also present in the nose, ear, trachea and larynx. We can fold the cartilage of the ears, but we can not bend the bones in our arms.
• Areolar connective tissue is found between the skin and muscles, around blood vessels and verves and in the bone marrow. It fills the space inside the organs, supports internal organs and helps in repair of tissues.
• fat storing adipose tissue is found below the skin and between internal organs, The cells of this skin tissue are filled with fat globules. Storage of fats also lets it act as an insulator.