Loose Connective Tissue

Loose connective tissue is the most abundant form of collagenous connective tissue. In this image of loose connective tissue of the GI tract submucosa, you can see that the collagen fibers are very loosely and irregularly arranged. Why does collagen appear eosinophilic in H&E preparation? What is the white space in the connective tissue?

Answer: The white space is where ground substance was located in the connective tissue. It stains poorly by H&E and is usually not visible. Collagen has many positively charged side groups.