Short notes on the basic structure of connective tissues

Connective tissue is of mesodermal origin and develops from mesenchyma. Structurally the connective tissue consists of various shapes of cells lying in a large amount of non living intercellular or extracellular material called the matrix. As a contrast to the epithelial tissue connective tissues have large intercellular spaces. The matrix or the intercellular material is secreted by the cells themselves. The connective tissue roughly consti­tutes 20% of the tissues in the body.

In the connective tissue the bulk of the tissue is made up of intercellular substance produced by the cells. This intercellular material consists of fibres and large amount of amorphous, transparent ground substance. Chemically the intercellular matrix is made up of acidic mucopolysac­charides bound with proteins to form hyaluranic acid. In the connective tissue several types of cells are found. They may be freely wandering in the matrix or fixed to a position.