Ground substance
Ground substance is a term for the non-cellular components of extracellular matrix which contain the fibers.[1]
It is usually not visible on slides, because it is removed during the preparation process.[2]
Cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix in tissues, which acts as a support for the cells. Ground substance traditionally does not include collagen but does include all the other proteinaceous components, including proteoglycans, matrix proteins and, most prevalent, water. The non-collagenous components of extracellular matrix will vary depending on the tissue in which it is found.
Ground substance is amorphous, gel-like, and is primarily composed of glycosaminoglycans (most notably hyaluronan), proteoglycans, and glycoproteins.
It is a connective tissue and along with Collagen Type 1 can be mineralized which is the form found in bone.
The meaning of the term has evolved over time.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "connective tissue" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ "Connective Tissue". http://www.courseweb.uottawa.ca/medicine-histology/English/SS_BasicTissues/Connective_Tissue.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
- ^ Wheatley DN (June 2003). "Diffusion, perfusion and the exclusion principles in the structural and functional organization of the living cell: reappraisal of the properties of the 'ground substance'". J. Exp. Biol. 206 (Pt 12): 1955–61. doi:10.1242/jeb.00238. PMID 12756276. http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12756276.
[edit] External links
- Ground+substance at eMedicine Dictionary
- Diagram at mhhe.com
- Histology at KUMC ct-ct15 - "Umbilical Cord"
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