Anatomy Exam Histology of Connective Tissues 3

Question 1

Reticular fibers are composed primarily of which collagen type?

Accepted Answer

Type III collagen

Answer

Reticular fibers are thin collagen fibers composed of type III collagen, forming supportive networks in lymphoid organs and liver.

Question 2

Which staining technique selectively demonstrates reticular fibers in histological sections?

Accepted Answer

Silver impregnation (Gomori)

Answer

Silver impregnation methods (such as Gomori's reticulin stain) selectively blacken reticular fibers, making them argyrophilic.

Question 3

Plasma cells in connective tissue are terminally differentiated forms of which cell?

Accepted Answer

B lymphocytes

Answer

Plasma cells are terminally differentiated B lymphocytes specialized for antibody secretion.

Question 4

The 'clock-face' or 'cartwheel' chromatin pattern is characteristic of which connective tissue cell?

Accepted Answer

Plasma cell

Answer

Plasma cells display a characteristic clock-face chromatin pattern due to heterochromatin arranged peripherally in the nucleus.

Question 5

Which component of the basement membrane forms a self-assembling polygonal lattice?

Accepted Answer

Type IV collagen

Answer

Type IV collagen molecules self-assemble into a polygonal lattice network that forms the structural scaffold of all basement membranes.

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