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Reticular connective tissue

 

 
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Reticular connective tissue
 
 
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Reticular connective tissue is a type of 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....
 proper. It has a network of reticular fiber
Reticular fiber

Reticular fibers or reticulin is a histology term used to describe a type of fiber in connective tissue composed of type III collagen. Reticular fibers crosslink to form a fine meshwork ....
s, made of type III collagen. Reticular fibers are not unique to reticular connective tissue, but only in this type are they dominant.

Reticular fibers are synthesized by special fibroblasts called reticular cells. The fibers are thin branching structures.

fibers form a soft skeleton (stroma
Stroma (animal tissue)

In animal tissue, stroma refers to the connective, non-functional supportive framework of a biological cell , biological tissue, or Organ ....
) to support the lymphoid organs
Lymphatic system

The lymphatic system in vertebrates is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph. It also includes the lymphoid tissue through which the lymph travels....
 (lymph nodes, red bone marrow, and spleen
Spleen

The spleen is an organ found in all vertebrate animals. In humans, the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body, where it functions in the destruction of redundant red blood cells, and holds a reservoir of blood....
).






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Encyclopedia


Reticular connective tissue is a type of 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....
 proper. It has a network of reticular fiber
Reticular fiber

Reticular fibers or reticulin is a histology term used to describe a type of fiber in connective tissue composed of type III collagen. Reticular fibers crosslink to form a fine meshwork ....
s, made of type III collagen. Reticular fibers are not unique to reticular connective tissue, but only in this type are they dominant.

Reticular fibers are synthesized by special fibroblasts called reticular cells. The fibers are thin branching structures.

Function

The fibers form a soft skeleton (stroma
Stroma (animal tissue)

In animal tissue, stroma refers to the connective, non-functional supportive framework of a biological cell , biological tissue, or Organ ....
) to support the lymphoid organs
Lymphatic system

The lymphatic system in vertebrates is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph. It also includes the lymphoid tissue through which the lymph travels....
 (lymph nodes, red bone marrow, and spleen
Spleen

The spleen is an organ found in all vertebrate animals. In humans, the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body, where it functions in the destruction of redundant red blood cells, and holds a reservoir of blood....
). (The thymus
Thymus

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the Thoracic cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T lymphocyte maturation....
 is the only lymphoid organ that does not contain reticular connective tissue.)

Adipose tissue
Adipose tissue

In histology, adipose tissue or fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat, although it also cushions and Thermal insulation the body....
 is held together by reticular fibers.

Staining

They can be identified in histology
Histology

Histology is the study of the anatomy of cell and tissue of plants and animals. It is performed by examining a thin slice of tissue under a light microscope or electron microscope....
 by staining with a heavy metal like silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
 or the PAS stain that stains carbohydrates.

Appearance

Reticular connective tissue resembles areolar connective tissue, but the only fibers in its matrix are reticular fibers, which form a delicate network along which fibroblasts called reticular cells lie scattered. Although reticular fibers are widely distributed in the body, reticular tissue is limited to certain sites. It forms a labyrinth-like stroma (literally, "bed or "mattress"), or internal framework, that can support many free blood cells (large lymphocytes) in lymph nodes, the spleen, and red bone marrow.

Classification

There are more than 20 types of reticular fibres. In Reticular Connective Tissue type III collagen/reticular fiber (100-150nm in diameter) is the major fiber component. It forms the architectural framework of; liver, adipose tissue, bone marrow, spleen, basement membrane to name a few

External links

- "Connective tissue, reticular (LM, Medium)"