Reticular Connective Tissue Definition

A kind of connective tissue characterised by the preponderance of type III collagen reticular fibres that produce a labyrinth-like stroma for lymphocytes.

One of the most important animal tissues is connective tissue. Ground material, cells, and fibres make up many connective tissues. They are located in the spaces between organs or other tissues, linking and/or supporting them.

An amorphous gel-like material is the ground substance in connective tissues. They are made up mostly of water, glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans and are located between cells.

Collagen, elastic, and reticular fibres are the three primary kinds of connective tissue fibre. A reticular connective tissue is a connective tissue with a vast network of reticular fibres.

The reticular fibres are mostly made up of type III collagen (100-150 nm in diameter), which is produced by reticular cells, which are unique fibroblasts. Crosslinking of reticular fibres forms a delicate meshwork.

The kidney, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow all have reticular connective tissues. The role of stromal cells in lymphoid organs, such as red bone marrow, spleen, and lymph node stromal cells, is to form a stroma and give structural support.