FIBRILLAR EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX
MESENTERY
This and the following pages will present some of the fibers of the of connective tissue extracellular matrix.
For didactic reasons, one very convenient place to observe these fibers is the mesentery. The mesentery is a thin, semi-transparent membrane of connective tissue covered by mesothelium (composed by flat epithelial cells) on both sides (search for an image of mesentery on Google). If you do not remember what a mesothelium is, consult the Glossary by clicking on the bar of the main page of MOL.
The mesentery attaches the intestines to the wall of the abdominal cavity. Blood and lymphatic vessels and nerves pass inside it. It serves to keep the intestines in place, nourish them and innervate them. Mesentery is present also and attched to other organs of the peritonial cavity.
The mesentery is rich in fibers and connective tissue cells. It is possible to cut a small fragment of mesentery, fix it with a histological fixative, stain it and place it on a histological slide. See the figure.
There is no need to make histological sections of the mesentery, because, being thin, it is translucent and can be observed as a whole under a light microscope. This type of histological preparation in which a fragment of organ or tissue is placed on a glass slide is called a total preparation.
This and the following pages will present some of the fibers of the of connective tissue extracellular matrix.
For didactic reasons, one very convenient place to observe these fibers is the mesentery. The mesentery is a thin, semi-transparent membrane of connective tissue covered by mesothelium (composed by flat epithelial cells) on both sides (search for an image of mesentery on Google). If you do not remember what a mesothelium is, consult the Glossary by clicking on the bar of the main page of MOL.
The mesentery attaches the intestines to the wall of the abdominal cavity. Blood and lymphatic vessels and nerves pass inside it. It serves to keep the intestines in place, nourish them and innervate them. Mesentery is present also and attched to other organs of the peritonial cavity.
The mesentery is rich in fibers and connective tissue cells. It is possible to cut a small fragment of mesentery, fix it with a histological fixative, stain it and place it on a histological slide. See the figure.
There is no need to make histological sections of the mesentery, because, being thin, it is translucent and can be observed as a whole under a light microscope. This type of histological preparation in which a fragment of organ or tissue is placed on a glass slide is called a total preparation.
