Abstract
Connective tissue pervades the entire organism, ensuring its matricial interconnections and its structural stability. Typically, connective tissue consists of extracellular material produced by cells that synthesize and secrete these materials. The physiological functions of connective tissues are determined by the nature and organization of their extracellular components. This chapter discusses all extracellular structural material such as fibrils and fibers, ground substance, bone, cartilage, and the cells elaborating this material such as fibroblasts, chondrocytes, osteocytes, and osteoblasts. Radiation-induced changes in connective tissue involve, among other things, excessive deposition of collagen in tissues. This, in turn, leads in many instances to interstitial, arteriolocapillary, or septal fibrosis. Exposure to ionizing radiations may also affect other components of connective tissue such as elastin and the glycosaminoglycans. The chapter reviews the biochemistry of connective tissue. It has now been established that the immunologic attributes of collagen are closely linked to its chemical structure.
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