reticular fiber

Examples of reticular fiber in the following topics:

• Characteristics of Connective Tissue

  • Connective tissue fibers provide support.
  • Three types of fibers are found in connective tissue:
  • Elastic fibers are long, thin fibers that form branching network in the extracellular matrix.
  • Reticular fibers are short, fine collagenous fibers that can branch extensively to form a delicate network.
  • Collagen fibers are the strongest and most abundant of all the connective tissue fibers.

• Structural Elements of Connective Tissue

  • Elastic fibers (or yellow fibers) are bundles of proteins (elastin) found in extracellular matrix of connective tissue and produced by fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in arteries.
  • Elastic fibers include elastin, elaunin, and oxytalan.
  • Reticular fibers or reticulin is a histological term used to describe a type of fiber in connective tissue composed of type III collagen.
  • Reticular fibers crosslink to form a fine meshwork (reticulin).
  • Reticular fiber is composed of one or more types of very thin and delicately woven strands of type III collagen.

• Blood Supply to the Epidermis

  • The reticular region lies under the papillary region and is usually much thicker.
  • The reticular region receives its name from the dense concentration of collagenous, elastic, and reticular fibers that weave throughout it.
  • These protein fibers give the dermis its typical properties of strength, extensibility, and elasticity.
  • Blood vessels that supply the capillaries of the papillary region run through the reticular region.
  • Blood vessels that supply the capillaries of the papillary region are seen running through the reticular layer.

• Connective Tissues: Loose, Fibrous, and Cartilage

  • The organic portion, or protein fibers, found in connective tissues are either collagen, elastic, or reticular fibers.
  • Elastic fibers are made of the protein elastin; this fiber can stretch to one and one half of its length, returning to its original size and shape.
  • Elastic fibers provide flexibility to the tissues.
  • Reticular fibers, the third type of protein fiber found in connective tissues, consist of thin strands of collagen that form a network of fibers to support the tissue and other organs to which it is connected.
  • Collagen fibers are relatively wide and stain a light pink, while elastic fibers are thin and stain dark blue to black .

• Aging and the Cardiovascular System

  • Movat stain (black = nuclei, elastic fibers; yellow = collagen, reticular fibers; blue = ground substance, mucin; bright red = fibrin; red = muscle).

• Types of Connective Tissue

  • Loose connective tissue is divided into 1) areolar, 2) adipose, 3) reticular.
  • This tissue resembles areolar connective tissue, but the only fibers in its matrix are the reticular fibers, which form a delicate network.
  • These collagen fibers are slightly wavy and can stretch a little bit.
  • The main fibers that form this tissue are elastic in nature.
  • These fibers allow the tissues to recoil after stretching.

• Reticular Formation

  • The raphe nuclei form a ridge in the middle of the reticular formation, and directly to its periphery, there is a division called the medial reticular formation.
  • The medial reticular formation is large, has long ascending and descending fibers, and is surrounded by the lateral reticular formation.
  • The nerve fibers in these pathways act in the spinal cord to block the transmission of some pain signals to the brain.
  • Injury to the reticular formation can result in irreversible coma.
  • Reticular formation nuclei that modulate activity of the cerebral cortex are part of the reticular activating system.

• Basement Membranes and Diseases

  • The basement membrane is the fusion of two lamina: the basal lamina and the reticular lamina (or lamina reticularis).
  • The lamina reticularis is attached to the basal lamina with anchoring fibrils (type VII collagen fibers ) and microfibrils (fibrillin).
  • The electron-dense lamina densa membrane is about 30–70 nanometers in thickness, and consists of an underlying network of reticular collagen (type IV) fibrils (fibroblast precursors) which average 30 nanometers in diameter and 0.1–2 micrometers in thickness.
  • Genetic defects in the collagen fibers of the basement membrane cause Alport syndrome or hereditary nephritis, a genetic disorder characterized by glomerulonephritis, endstage kidney disease, and hearing loss.

• Dietary Fiber

  • Lignin, a major dietary insoluble fiber source, may alter the fate and metabolism of soluble fibers.
  • The term "fiber" is something of a misnomer since many types of so-called dietary fiber are not actually fibrous.
  • Dietary fiber is found in plants.
  • Fiber-rich plants can be eaten directly.
  • The plum's skin is a source of insoluble fiber while soluble fiber is in the pulp.

• Biology of Emotion

  • The limbic system, autonomic nervous system, and reticular activating system interact in the processing of emotion.
  • The limbic system, autonomic nervous system, and reticular activating system all interact to assist the body in experiencing and processing emotions.
  • The reticular activating system (RAS) is a network of neurons that runs through the core of the hindbrain and into the midbrain and forebrain.
  • The RAS is made up of the midbrain reticular formation, the mesencephalic nucleus (mesencephalon), the thalamic intralaminar nucleus (centromedian nucleus), the dorsal hypothalamus, and the tegmentum.
  • The reticular activating system is involved in arousal and attention, sleep and wakefulness, and the control of reflexes.