Reticular connective tissue 40X
 
Reticular connective tissue is named for the reticular fibers which are the main structural part of the tissue. The cells that make the reticular fibers are fibroblasts called reticular cells. Reticular connective tissue forms a scaffolding for other cells in several organs, such as lymph nodes and bone marrow. You will never see reticular connective tissue alone--there will always be other cells scattered among the reticular cells and reticular fibers.

The area in the box has been enlarged in the next image. In the tissue above the box the cells are very dense and it would be hard to see the reticular fibers there. There is no reticular tissue below the box.

Reticular connective tissue 100X
 
The resolution of this image is so low that you can't see the reticular fibers very clearly. What you can do at this point when looking at a slide in lab is to find a region of the specimen where the cells are not too dense. Then, when you switch to a higher power, the reticular fibers will be easier to see.





Reticular connective tissue 400X
 
In this image the red arrows point to individual reticular fibers. The dark-colored dots scattered among the fibers are mostly reticular cells and lymphocytes (this image is from a lymph node). On this image, you cannot tell which cells are reticular and which are lymphocytes.

The reticular fibers are attached to the reticular cells, so the two components of reticular connective tissue are "fixed", they cannot move around. The other cells and tissue fluid can move around in the spaces between the reticular fibers.


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