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Anatomy & Physiology: Connective Tissue, Cartilage, Bone, Muscle, Skin, and Upper Limb Anatomy

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Terms in this set (92)

  • What do all connective tissues have in common?
    Cells are surrounded by an extracellular matrix (ECM) made of protein fibers and ground substance.
  • Functions of connective tissue
    Bind and support tissues; protect organs; store energy; insulate; transport substances; immune defense; tissue repair.
  • Where is connective tissue proper found?
    Throughout the body, especially under epithelia, around organs, between tissues, and in tendons and ligaments.
  • Cells found in connective tissue proper
    Adipocytes, mast cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts.
  • What are adipocytes?
    Fat cells that store lipids.
  • Role of mast cells
    Immune cells involved in inflammation.
  • Role of macrophages
    Ingest foreign substances and cellular debris through phagocytosis.
  • Role of fibroblasts
    Produce protein fibers and ground substance of the ECM.
  • Primary component of loose connective tissue
    Ground substance.
  • Main function of loose connective tissue
    Wraps, cushions, supports, and binds tissues.
  • Primary component of dense connective tissue
    Protein fibers, especially collagen fibers.
  • Types of dense connective tissue
    Dense irregular, dense regular, and elastic connective tissue.
  • Collagen fiber arrangement in dense irregular connective tissue
    Randomly/irregularly arranged to resist tension from many directions.
  • Location of dense irregular connective tissue
    Dermis of the skin and capsules around organs and joints.
  • Collagen fiber arrangement in dense regular connective tissue
    Parallel to each other to resist strong pulling forces in one direction.
  • Location of dense regular connective tissue
    Tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses.
  • Primary component of elastic connective tissue
    Elastic fibers.
  • Location of elastic connective tissue
    Walls of large arteries, some ligaments, and vocal ligaments.
  • What is reticular tissue?
    A network of thin reticular fibers forming a supportive framework.
  • Location of reticular tissue
    Lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow.
  • Functions of adipose tissue
    Stores energy, provides insulation, cushions/protects organs, and helps regulate metabolism.
  • Key properties of cartilage
    Strong but flexible, supportive, avascular, and slow to heal.
  • Cell producing most ECM in cartilage
    Chondroblast.
  • Mature cartilage cell
    Chondrocyte located in lacunae.
  • Why is cartilage slow to heal?
    Because it is avascular and receives nutrients by diffusion through the ECM.
  • Three types of cartilage
    Hyaline, fibrocartilage, and elastic cartilage.
  • Most abundant cartilage type
    Hyaline cartilage.
  • ECM dominance in hyaline cartilage
    Collagen fibers, especially type II collagen.
  • Locations of hyaline cartilage
    Articular surfaces, trachea, nose, costal cartilage, larynx, and fetal skeleton.
  • ECM dominance in fibrocartilage
    Thick collagen fibers, especially type I collagen.
  • Locations of fibrocartilage
    Intervertebral discs, pubic symphysis, and knee menisci.
  • Difference of elastic cartilage
    Contains many elastic fibers, making it more flexible.
  • Locations of elastic cartilage
    External ear and epiglottis.
  • Bone tissue other name
    Osseous tissue.
  • Bone-building cell
    Osteoblast.
  • Mature bone cell
    Osteocyte located in lacunae.
  • Bone-resorbing cell
    Osteoclast.
  • Unique feature of blood as connective tissue
    Its extracellular matrix is fluid, called plasma.
  • Function of red blood cells
    Transport oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  • Function of white blood cells
    Immune defense.
  • What is a platelet?
    A cell fragment involved in blood clotting.
  • Unique property of muscle tissue
    Specialized for contraction and movement.
  • Muscle type that is striated and voluntary
    Skeletal muscle.
  • Muscle type that is non-striated and involuntary
    Smooth muscle.
  • Muscle type that is striated and involuntary
    Cardiac muscle.
  • Location of skeletal muscle
    Attached to bones.
  • Appearance of skeletal muscle
    Long, cylindrical, striated, and multinucleated fibers.
  • Location of smooth muscle
    Walls of organs and blood vessels.
  • Appearance of smooth muscle
    Spindle-shaped cells with one nucleus and no striations.
  • Location of cardiac muscle
    Heart.
  • Appearance of cardiac muscle
    Branched, striated cells with one nucleus and intercalated discs.
  • Where is nervous tissue found?
    Brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.
  • Two main types of nervous tissue cells
    Neurons and neuroglial cells (glia).
  • Main function of neurons
    Receive and transmit electrical signals.
  • Main function of neuroglial cells
    Support, protect, nourish, and maintain neurons.
  • Largest organ in the body
    Skin (cutaneous membrane).
  • Two components of skin
    Epidermis and dermis.
  • What is the epidermis?
    The superficial/outer layer of skin made of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.
  • Does the epidermis contain blood vessels?
    No, it is avascular and receives nutrients by diffusion from the dermis.
  • What is the dermis?
    The deeper connective tissue layer beneath the epidermis.
  • Accessory structures of the skin
    Hair, nails, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and sensory receptors.
  • Functions of skin
    Protection, sensation, thermoregulation, vitamin D production, prevention of water loss, excretion, and immune defense.
  • What is the acid mantle?
    A slightly acidic layer on the skin surface that inhibits microorganism growth.
  • How does skin create a waterproof barrier?
    Keratin and lipids form a water-resistant barrier preventing excessive water loss.
  • Why is sensation important to homeostasis?
    It allows detection of temperature, pain, pressure, and other changes to respond appropriately.
  • What is thermoregulation?
    The process of maintaining a stable body temperature.
  • Body response when too hot
    Sweating and vasodilation increase heat loss.
  • Body response when too cold
    Vasoconstriction conserves heat and shivering produces heat.
  • Why is vitamin D important?
    It helps with calcium absorption and bone health.
  • Most common cell in the epidermis
    Keratinocyte.
  • What do keratinocytes produce?
    Keratin, which makes skin strong, protective, and water-resistant.
  • What junction connects keratinocytes?
    Desmosomes, which help resist mechanical stress.
  • Five epidermal layers from superficial to deep
    Stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, stratum basale.
  • Mnemonic for epidermal layers
    Come Let's Get Sun Burned.
  • Deepest epidermal layer
    Stratum basale, one cell layer thick with mostly cuboidal to columnar cells.
  • Function of stratum basale
    Produces new keratinocytes via rapid cell division.
  • What does UV radiation allow skin to produce?
    A vitamin D precursor that can become vitamin D.
  • Why is the stratum spinosum called the spiny layer?
    Cells appear spiny due to desmosomes under a microscope.
  • Function of stratum granulosum
    Contains granules that release lipids to create a water-resistant barrier.
  • Where is the stratum lucidum found?
    Only in thick skin, such as palms and soles.
  • Most superficial epidermal layer
    Stratum corneum, composed of dead, keratinized cells that shed.
  • Cells producing melanin
    Melanocytes, mainly found in the stratum basale.
  • Cells providing immune defense in epidermis
    Dendritic/Langerhans cells, mainly in the stratum spinosum.
  • Cells involved in touch sensation
    Tactile/Merkel cells found in the stratum basale.
  • Difference between thick and thin skin
    Thick skin has all five epidermal layers and lacks hair follicles and sebaceous glands; thin skin lacks stratum lucidum.
  • Bones of the forearm
    Radius (lateral/thumb side) and ulna (medial/pinky side).
  • What connects the radius and ulna?
    Interosseous membrane and proximal/distal radioulnar joints.
  • Articulations of the radius at the elbow
    Capitulum of the humerus and radial notch of the ulna.
  • Articulations of the ulna at the elbow
    Trochlea of the humerus.
  • What receives the head of the radius during elbow flexion?
    Radial fossa.
  • What receives the coronoid process during elbow flexion?
    Coronoid fossa.
  • What receives the olecranon process during elbow extension?
    Olecranon fossa.