Which tissue type would you expect to find within bones, tendons, fat, fascia, cartilage, and ligaments?

• A. Epithelial
• B. Connective
• C. Nervous
• D. Muscular

Answer: (B)

All of these structures are forms of connective tissue. Connective tissue provides support, binding, and insulation throughout the body, and it includes bone, cartilage, dense connective tissues like tendons and ligaments, adipose (fat), and fascia. Each type has a distinct extracellular matrix and cells—bone with mineralized matrix and osteocytes, cartilage with chondrocytes, tendons/ligaments and fascia rich in collagen as dense connective tissue, and adipose tissue made of adipocytes. Epithelial tissue lines surfaces, nervous tissue makes up nerves and the brain, and muscular tissue forms muscles, so those options don’t capture the common tissue type represented here.