Areolar tissue.

 This consists of loosely woven tissue which as distributed widely throughout the body. It is placed immediately beneath the skin amd mucous surface forming the subcutaneous and sub-mucous tissue and it also form the sheaths of fascia which support and bind and connect together muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other organs.

  Areolar tissue consists of a matrix of intercellular substance in which lie connective tissue cells and into which are woven bundles of fine white fibers, composed of wavy strands, running through the matrix in every direction and so arranged that they form a network. These fibers consists of collagen, a gelatinous substance and they are held together by mucin.

 Elastic fibers which are yellow in appearance and composed of elastin also from part of the structures. These fibers are fine.

  The tissue spaces in which lymph collects are large and it is from the lymph contained in them that most of the nourishment of areolar tissue is derived. These lymph spaces communicate with each other and it is here, in these, that many of the immunizing substance which protects the body from disease are formed.

Retiform (reticular) lymphoid or adenoid tissue is similar to areolar but a particular kind of cell the lymphocyte is present in very large numbers and forms the bulk of the tissue. The lymphocytes are held together by fine connective tissue fibers called reticular fibers, called reticular fibers. These are like immature collagen fibers.