Connective Tissue

What the page covers

The resources on this page follow the main branches of connective tissue. Some look at connective tissue proper: loose, dense, reticular and adipose. Others cover cartilage and bone, blood and lymph, and the extracellular matrix with its fibres, ground substance and cell adhesion molecules. Smaller mind maps zoom in on single topics such as fibroblasts, mast cells, mesenchyme and types of collagen.

Where to start

Begin with an overview. The flashcard deck Histology Connective Tissue walks through the forms of connective tissue proper, special connective tissues and supporting tissues. Then open the mind map Connective tissue, which sets out general features, functions, cells, matrix and fibres.

1. Read an overview deck or map to see the big picture.
2. Move to the types: the deck L3 histo- CT proper asks what loose, dense, reticular and adipose tissue are.
3. Look at the matrix with the ECM mind map and the deck Extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules.
4. Finish with bone and cartilage, using the deck Connective: Bone for compact and spongy bone, canaliculi and Sharpey fibres.

Using quizzes and maps together

Study a mind map first, then test yourself. The quiz Bio 275 lab 3 asks you to match function and location for areolar, adipose, reticular, dense regular, dense irregular and elastic tissue. If an answer slips, go back to the matching map, such as Dense Connective Tissue or Adipose tissue, and read that branch again. Repeat the quiz later and see what has stuck.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Basic Tissues strand of Histology and embryology. Everything here is made for university-level study, so it suits lab revision, lecture follow-up and quick checks before a class.

Make it your own

Browse the list, open whatever looks useful, and then build your own flashcards or a map of the tissue types you find hardest. Teachers can pick out a ready-made quiz or deck to share with a class.