TENDONS, APONEUROSES, AND 



The superficial fascia is found immediately beneath the integument over almost the 

 entire surface of the body. It connects the skin with the deep fascia, and consists 

 of fibroareolar tissue, containing in its meshes pellicles of fat in varying quantity. 

 Fibro-areolar tissue is composed of white fibers and yellow elastic fibers intercrossing 

 in all directions, and united together by a homogeneous cement or ground substance, 

 the matrix. 



The cells of areolar tissue are of four principal kinds: (1) Flattened lamellar 

 cells, which may be either branched or unbranched. The branched lamellar cells 

 are composed of clear cytoplasm, and contain oval nuclei; the processes of these 

 cells may unite so as to form an open network, as in the cornea. The unbranched 

 cells are joined edge to edge like the cells of an epithelium; the " tendon cells," pres- 

 ently.to be described, are examples of this variety. (2) Clasmatocytes, large irregular 

 cells characterized by the presence of granules or vacuoles in their protoplasm, 



Plasma cell 



^ White 



"'-fibres 



Elastic 

 fibres 



Fibrillated 

 cell 



Lamellar cell 

 FIG. 377. Subcutaneous tissue from a young rabbit. 



Highly magnified. (Schafer.) 



and containing oval nuclei. (3) Granule cells (Mastzelleri), which are ovoid or 

 spheroidal in shape. They are formed of a soft protoplasm, containing granules 

 which are basophil in character. (4) Plasma cells of Waldeyer, usually spheroidal 

 and distinguished by containing a vacuolated protoplasm. The vacuoles are filled 

 with fluid, and the protoplasm between the spaces is clear, with occasionally a few 

 scattered basophil granules. 



In addition to these four typical forms of connective-tissue corpuscles, areolar 

 tissue may be seen to possess wandering cells, i. e., leucocytes which have emigrated 

 from the neighboring vessels; in some instances, as in the choroid coat of the eye 

 cells filled w r ith granules of pigment (pigment cells) are found. 



The cells lie in spaces in the ground substance between the bundles of fibers, 

 and these spaces may be brought into view by treating the tissue with nitrate of 

 silver and exposing it to the light. This will color the ground substance and leave 

 the cell-spaces unstained. 



