Connective tissue

How it is used

One of the four basic tissue types. Histology lectures focus on its extracellular matrix and fibers, especially collagen. Clinicians speak of connective tissue diseases, which can affect many organs at once.

Example sentences

1. Tendons and ligaments are made of dense connective tissue rich in collagen.

2. Blood is classed as a connective tissue because its cells sit in a fluid matrix, the plasma.

Common collocations

• dense connective tissue
• loose connective tissue
• connective tissue disease
• extracellular matrix

Related terms

• tissueA group of similar cells, together with the material around them, that work together to do one job. The four basic types are epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous tissue.
• epitheliumTissue made of tightly packed cells that covers the body's surfaces and lines its cavities, tubes and glands, such as the outer layer of the skin and the lining of the gut.
• cartilageA firm but flexible connective tissue with no blood vessels. It covers the ends of bones in joints, gives shape to the nose and ears, and connects the ribs to the sternum.
• ligamentA tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects one bone to another and keeps a joint stable.
• tendonA strong cord of fibrous tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone, so that when the muscle contracts it pulls on the bone.

More terms: Cells, Tissues and Body Organization

• cell
• organ
• organ system
• cell membrane
• nucleus
• mitochondrion