48 



THE TISSUES. 



lining retiform tissue and lymph-spaces, they are flattened like 

 endothelium, with which they are closely related ; sometimes 

 they are lamellar, as in tendon-cells ; or they may -be altogether 

 irregular. 



In general, connective-tissue cells are small flattened or 

 elongated cells, with prominent nuclei and relatively small 

 bodies, and often wirh processes ; they are polymorphous and 

 adaptable to the situations in which they are placed. Some- 

 times they are pigmented, such cells, stellate or irregular, 

 occurring in the choroid, pia mater, and in amphibia. 

 Some connective-tissue cells are granular, as precursors of fat- 

 cells. 



Fat-cells are large spherical connective-tissue cells distended 

 with fat. Odontoblasts, cartilage-cells, and bone-cells are 

 forms of connective-tissue cells, and neuroglia-cells differ 

 chiefly in their epiblastic origin. 

 Plasma-cells occurring in areo- FIG. 17. 



lar tissue contain numerous 

 vacuoles and vary in form. 



Mast-cells are large cells 



FIG. 16. 



White fibres, teased to show indi- 

 vidual nbrillse (Dunham). 



Yellow elastic fibres from subcutane- 

 ous areolar tissue (Schafer). 



twenty to thirty micromillimetres in diameter, containing 

 coarse basophile (y) granules, and irregular pale-staining 

 nuclei ; they are occasionally found in areolar tissue. 



