Reticular fibers are the main structural fiber in some connective tissues.

Structure

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Reticular fiber consists of one or more types of very thin and delicately woven strands of collagen, these strands build a highly ordered cellular network and provide a supporting network. Many of these types of collagen have been combined with carbohydrate. Thus, they react with silver stains and with periodic acid-Schiff reagent but are not demonstrated with ordinary histological stains such as those using hematoxylin.

Locations

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Networks of these fibers make up stroma of lymphatic and hemopoietic tissues such as the thymus, lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow.