GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Loose and dense connective tissue are made up of the following three fibers: collagen fibers, reticular fibers, and elastin fibers.

Detailed explanation-2: -The major components of all basement membranes are laminin, collagen IV, entactin/nidogen, and sulfated proteoglycans. Each of these describes a family of related proteins that assemble with each other in the extracellular space to form the basement membrane.

Detailed explanation-3: -Electron microscopy shows that the basement membrane consists of three layers: the lamina lucida (electron-lucent), lamina densa (electron-dense), and lamina fibro-reticularis (electron-lucent). The lamina densa was formerly called the “basal lamina”.

Detailed explanation-4: -The basement membrane is formed by a mixture of molecules, including type IV collagen (i.e., the structural protein found in the basement membrane, the lens of the eye, and the cochlea of the ear) primarily and laminin (i.e., a glycoprotein, or protein that contains oligosaccharide chains).