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Fibroblast
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The fibroblast is one of the most abundant cells in the stroma, the supporting tissue that organs rest on, and it is the most abundant cell in connective tissue proper. It is mesenchymal in origin, meaning it comes from the embryonic tissue that gives rise to the supporting tissues, and it has an elongated shape, spindle-shaped or star-shaped, with many processes reaching out from the cell body.
Its everyday job is to maintain the extracellular matrix, the material that fills the space between the cells. To do that it secretes the fibers: collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and reticular fibers. It also secretes polysaccharides and proteins that, mixed with the surrounding fluid, form the ground substance, a kind of thick gel in which those fibers are embedded.
When there is an injury, it changes its behavior. It can change its phenotype, that is, the way it looks and acts, and start synthesizing the materials used to rebuild the injured tissue. The cell that provides support in quiet times is the same one that rebuilds after an injury.
In brief
The fibroblast is one of the most abundant cells in the stroma and the most abundant cell in connective tissue proper, mesenchymal in origin and elongated, spindle-shaped or stellate.
Under normal conditions it maintains the extracellular matrix, secreting collagen, elastic, and reticular fibers along with the ground substance that surrounds them.
In response to a wound it can change its phenotype and produce the material used to rebuild the injured tissue.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingHistology, Fibroblast, StatPearlsPublished
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityAnatomy and Physiology 2e, 4.3 Connective Tissue Supports and ProtectsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated