Tendons and ligaments are made of which connective tissue type?

Tendons and ligaments are made of which connective tissue type?

• A. Dense irregular connective tissue
• B. Elastic connective tissue
• C. Loose connective tissue
• D. Dense regular connective tissue

Answer: (D)

Tendons and ligaments are built to transmit force along their length, so their fibers are densely packed and aligned in the same direction. This arrangement gives high tensile strength in one direction, which dense regular connective tissue provides. The tissue is rich in type I collagen, has few cells, and limited blood supply, meaning it’s very strong for unidirectional pull but heals slowly when injured. If fibers were oriented in many directions, as in dense irregular connective tissue, the tissue would resist forces from multiple directions rather than efficiently in a single direction. Elastic connective tissue emphasizes stretch and recoil, not the rigid, unidirectional strength needed here, while loose connective tissue is too loose to transmit large forces. So, tendons and ligaments are made of dense regular connective tissue.

Tendons and ligaments are built to transmit force along their length, so their fibers are densely packed and aligned in the same direction. This arrangement gives high tensile strength in one direction, which dense regular connective tissue provides. The tissue is rich in type I collagen, has few cells, and limited blood supply, meaning it’s very strong for unidirectional pull but heals slowly when injured. If fibers were oriented in many directions, as in dense irregular connective tissue, the tissue would resist forces from multiple directions rather than efficiently in a single direction. Elastic connective tissue emphasizes stretch and recoil, not the rigid, unidirectional strength needed here, while loose connective tissue is too loose to transmit large forces. So, tendons and ligaments are made of dense regular connective tissue.