Definition
noun
A type of connective tissue that contains chiefly of collagen fibers (type I collagen) relative to the ground substance and cellular components, and functions by providing strong connection between different tissues
Supplement
The connective tissue is an animal tissue that is comprised of specialized cells embedded in the matrix. The matrix is abundant in extracellular components (such as fibers and ground substance). The connective tissues may be classified into loose connective tissues and dense connective tissues depending on their composition.
The dense connective tissue is a type of connective tissue proper that consists predominantly of fibers, especially type I collagen. It also has fibroblasts that generate the fibers. Compared with the loose connective tissue, the dense connective tissue has less cellular variation and ground substance. The major function of the dense connective tissue is to bind body parts together.
There are two main forms of dense connective tissues:
- dense regular connective tissue – found in tendons and ligaments
- dense irregular connective tissue – found in lower layers of the skin (dermis) and in the protective white layer of the eyeball
The main difference between the two forms is the arrangement of the fiber component. In dense regular connective tissue, the fibers are arranged in parallel bundles whereas those in dense irregular connective tissue are not.
Synonym:
- dense fibrous tissue
See also:
