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Adventitia is the outermost connective tissue
Connective tissue

Connective tissue is a form of fibrous biological tissue.It is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications .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....
 covering of any organ
Organ (anatomy)

In biology, an organ is a biological tissue that performs a specific function or group of functions. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues....
, vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
, or other structure. It is also called the tunica adventitia.

For example, the connective tissue that surrounds an artery
Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood....
 is called the tunica adventitia because it is considered extraneous to the artery.

To some degree, its role is complementary to that of the serosa, which also provides a layer of tissue surrounding an organ.






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Adventitia is the outermost connective tissue
Connective tissue

Connective tissue is a form of fibrous biological tissue.It is one of the four types of tissue in traditional classifications .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....
 covering of any organ
Organ (anatomy)

In biology, an organ is a biological tissue that performs a specific function or group of functions. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues....
, vessel
Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
, or other structure. It is also called the tunica adventitia.

For example, the connective tissue that surrounds an artery
Artery

Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. All arteries, with the exception of the pulmonary and umbilical arteries, carry oxygenated blood....
 is called the tunica adventitia because it is considered extraneous to the artery.

To some degree, its role is complementary to that of the serosa, which also provides a layer of tissue surrounding an organ. In the abdomen, whether an organ is covered in adventitia or serosa depends upon whether it is peritoneal or retroperitoneal:
  • peritoneal organs
    Peritoneum

    In higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdomen — it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs....
     are covered in serosa (a layer of mesothelium
    Mesothelium

    The mesothelium is a membrane that forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura , peritoneum and pericardium . Mesothelial tissue also surrounds the male internal reproductive organs and covers the internal reproductive organs of women ....
    , the visceral peritoneum)
  • retroperitoneal organs
    Retroperitoneum

    The retroperitoneum is the anatomical space in the abdominal cavity behind the peritoneum. It has no specific delineating anatomical structures....
     are covered in adventitia (loose connective tissue)


In the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract

The digestive tract is the system of Organ s within multicellular animals that takes in food, digestion it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste....
, the muscularis externa is bounded in most cases by serosa. However, at the thoracic esophagus
Esophagus

The esophagus or oesophagus , sometimes known as the gullet, is an Organ in vertebrates which consists of a Muscle tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach....
, ascending colon, descending colon and the rectum, the muscularis externa is instead bounded by adventitia. (The muscularis externa of the duodenum
Duodenum

The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine may be used instead of duodenum....
 is bounded by both tissue types.)

The connective tissue of the gallbladder
Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small non-vital Organ which aids in the digestive process and concentrates bile produced in the liver....
 is covered by adventitia where the gallbladder bounds the liver
Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
, but by serosa for the rest of its surface.

See also

  • Lumen (anatomy)
    Lumen (anatomy)

    A lumen in biology is the inside space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine. By extension, a lumen can also be the inside space of a cellular component or structure, such as the endoplasmic reticulum....


External links

- "Mammal, whole system (LM, Low)" (vermiform appendix
Vermiform appendix

In human anatomy, the appendix is a blind ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouch-like structure of the Colon ....
)