Slide 18. Loose connective tissue and white adipose tissue subcutaneous, H&E
Explains how to recognise loose connective tissue and white adipose tissue of the subcutaneous layer in H&E sections. Covers the staining pattern, with collagen pink and fat cells appearing empty, then the features of loose connective tissue such as collagen fibres, fibroblasts and vessels. It describes fat lobules with flat, edge-placed nuclei (signet ring cells), septa with capillaries, and contrasts this with dense connective tissue.
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Topic 107 of 127 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Cytology (Dental Medicine, Year 1). The free AceMed note covers it in 1 section, about 120 words (1 min of reading).
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Introduction
Introduction
The subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis) shows loose connective tissue and lobules of white fat.
Loose connective tissue: thin pink collagen fibres running in all directions, plenty of pale ground substance, scattered fibroblasts with elongated nuclei, and blood vessels.
White adipose tissue: lobules of large, empty-looking polygonal cells.
Each fat cell has a thin rim of cytoplasm and a flat nucleus at its edge (signet ring).
Thin septa with capillaries between the fat lobules.
Don't confuse it with: dense connective tissue, where thick collagen bundles leave little room for ground substance.
Theory: topics 41, 44, 45 and 46 (connective tissue, cells, fibrous and adipose tissue).
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