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Preksha Dhyanaş (ii) Connective Tissues
Connective tissue is the most widespread and abundant tissue in the body, and also the most varied. The functions of connective tissues are just as varied as their structure. Indeed the implication of their name may be somewhat misleading. Although they do connect, e.g. muscles to bones, connective tissues falso support the body, serve as depots for fat storage and help to nourish the tissues they support, surround or permeate.
Connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments provide a mobile supporting framework for more specialised tissues. Capillary blood vessels and nerves pass through connective tissues.
Tendons are one type of dense connective tissues having great tensile strength. Tendons anchor muscles to bones and must withstand the tremendous forces generated by muscle contraction. They are composed of parallel bundles of fibres.
Ligaments bind bones to other bones. Here the bundles of elastic fibres predominate.
Aponeuroses are flat sheets of white fibrous tissues that anchor muscles to other structures. Elastic tissues are found in the trachea, larger arteries and spinal ligaments. They are tough but springy. Most of the body fat is stored in the connective tissues inside special cells, forming a uniform appearance and soft texture. Blood and Lymph
We generally visualize tissue as a solid mass. Yet blood and lymph are also tissues. Here the matrix is entirely fluid, without suspended fibres. Since, in a sense, blood and lymph connect all the regions of thc body, they are grouped. under connective tissue. Unlike the other tissues of the body, the blood is in constant motion, the movement occuring within fixed channels—the blood vessels.
Lymph is mostly water. It is formed by the continual draining of fluid from the intercellular spaces of the cells. into the lymph vesses. (iii) Bone and Cartilage
Two types of firm tissues-bone and cartilage-form
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