University of Texas Medical Branch

Cell Biology Graduate Program

| Question 1. | Question 2 |  Question 3. |

| Question 4. |  Question 5. |  Question 6. | Question 7. |

This guide is designed to help you with the topic as you study it throughout the entire first two years.

1) Underneath most epithelia is connective tissue. What important functions might the connective tissue play to preserve and maintain the epithelial tissue?

2) If we have a puncture wound into the connective tissue region of skin, there may be a local inflammatory reaction, including swelling or edema. Speculate about how the connective tissue might prevent the spread of this infection. Indicate a role for each component (cells, ground substance, and macrophages). How might bacteria "fight back".

3) A type of connective tissue is very important in enabling runners to sprint or kangaroos to hop. How might this tissue be organized to do this? Any guesses about constituent parts?

4) In an allergic reaction to an external antigen, such as hives, there is swelling, redness and pain. What in connective tissue might be causing each of these symptoms?

5) Clinical studies show that infants with a body weight above the 97th percentile are 3X as likely to be obese as adults. Conversely, infants born during the famine in Europe in the mid 1940's, had 1/3 the incidence of obesity compared with a similar group born after the war, during a period of plenty. What can one hypothesize about the effect of early feeding on adipose tissue or cells?

6) In adult animals, shivering is thermogenic. However very young animals are unable to shiver and rely on brown fat stores. Speculate about how this might be relayed to produce thermogenesis