GENERAL HISTOLOGY. 



IOI 



transparent mass, well-nigh indiscernible under the micro- 

 scope, sometimes soft like jelly, often firmer (Fig. 37). The 

 cells lying in it are either spherical or send branching proc- 

 esses into the fundamental substance. Such processes 

 may unite to form meshes which, like a pseudopodial net- 

 work, unite cell to cell. Frequently the homogeneous con- 

 nective substance contains, in addition, isolated firm fibres 

 or threads, which, on account of their physical character- 

 istics, are called elastic fibres, and consist of a substance 



FIG. 36. Cellular Connective sulstan e. 

 Cross-section through the notochura 

 of a newly hatched Trout. 



FIG. 37. Homogeneous connective suB- 

 >lan''iof SycanJra raphanus. (After 

 F. E. Schulze.) 



(elastin) exceedingly resistant to all reagents. Finally, in 

 the fundamental substance there may develop the finer con- 

 nective-tissue fibrils, the characteristic element of the next 

 group; they may become so prominent by increase in 

 number as to determine the character of the tissue. 



Fibrous Connective Tissue. Fibrous coiuicctirc tissue 

 is characterized by the rich supply of connective-tissue fibril- 

 Ice ; these are fibres of extraordinary fineness, lying in a 

 homogeneous basal substance, which is the more concealed 

 the richer it is in fibres. In their course they may be either 

 confusedly arranged, crossing in all directions, or may run 

 essentially parallel and in a definite direction. 



Between them are found the rounded, spindle-shaped or 



