Connective tissue is a major tissue category that supports, connects, separates, protects, or transports substances within the body.
Depending on its type, connective tissue may contain collagen, elastic fibers, fat cells, blood vessels, immune cells, or specialized cells. Bone, cartilage, blood, fat, tendons, ligaments, and much of the dermis are all forms of connective tissue.
QUICK FACT
- Connective tissue is the most abundant and widely distributed tissue type in the human body.
- Blood is classified as connective tissue because its cells are suspended in an extracellular matrix called plasma.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Fibrous tissue: a type or component of connective tissue characterized by abundant structural fibers.
- Tissue: the broader biological category that includes connective, epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissues.
SEE ALSO