THE CONXECTIVF. TISSUES 95 



plasm. In this way the nucleus and remaining cytoplasm are pressed 

 to one side and come to occupy the inconspicuous position which they 

 have in adult fat. 



The blood supply of fat is rich and the adult lobule maintains its 

 embryonic vascular relations, in that the vascular supply of each 

 lobule is complete and independent. One artery runs to each lobule, 

 where it breaks up into an intralobular capillary network, which in 

 turn gives rise to the intralobular veins, usually two in number. 



Fat is thus seen to be a connective tissue in which some of the cells 

 have undergone specialization. There still remain, however, embry- 

 onal connective-tissue cells which arc not destined to become fat 

 cells, but which develop into cells and fibres of 

 ordinary fibrous connective tissue. A few of these 

 remain among the fat cells to become the delicate 

 intralobular connective tissue seen in adult fat. 

 The majority are, however, pushed to one side by 

 the developing lobules, where they form the inter- 

 lobular septa. 





t:.i= ■.SO ..*,,j- 



Fig. 41. Fig. 42, 



Fig. 41. — Longitudinal Section of Tendon from Frog's Gastrocnemius. X 250. The 

 nuclei of the flattened cells are seen lying in rows between the connective- tissue fibres. 

 Fig. 42. — Teased tendon fibres with cells lying on their surface. X400. (Ranvier.) 



Formed Connective Tissue 



In formed connective tissue the tissue elements instead of being 

 disposed irregularly as in areolar tissue, are arranged with some 

 regularity or order, thus giving the tissue more or less definite form. 



Tendons and ligaments are examples of formed connective tissue 

 in which the fibres all run in approximately the same direction 

 (Fig. 41). Elastic fibres are absent or present in very small numbers. 

 Tbe Fit-' ' linance of the white fibres and their parallel arrange- 

 in great strength with almost no extensibihty. While 



