View source for Dense connective tissue

{{Short description|Type of connective tissue in animals}}
{{Infobox microanatomy
| Name        = Dense connective tissue
| Latin       = textus connectivus compactus
| Image       = Dense connective tissue-400x.jpg
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'''Dense connective tissue''', also called '''dense fibrous tissue''', is a type of [[connective tissue]] with fibers as its main [[extracellular matrix|matrix]] element.<ref name="urlBlue Histology">{{cite web |url=http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/ |title=Blue Histology |access-date=2009-10-16}}</ref> The fibers are mainly composed of [[type I collagen]]. Crowded between the collagen fibers are rows of [[fibroblast]]s, fiber-forming cells, that generate the fibers. Dense connective tissue forms strong, rope-like structures such as [[tendon]]s and [[ligament]]s. Tendons attach [[skeletal muscle]]s to [[bone]]s; ligaments connect bones to bones at [[joint]]s. Ligaments are more stretchy and contain more [[elastic fiber]]s than tendons. Dense connective tissue also make up the lower layers of the [[skin]] (dermis), where it is arranged in sheets.<ref name="isbn0-321-69598-4">{{cite book |author=Marieb, Elaine N. |title=Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology - 10th ed. |publisher=Pearson Education |location=San Francisco, Ca. |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-321-69598-7 |page=96}}</ref> In addition, the [[sclera]] contains dense connective tissue<ref>{{Citation |last=Pradeep |first=Tejus |title=Histology, Eye |date=2023 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544343/ |work=StatPearls |access-date=2023-11-11 |place=Treasure Island (FL) |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |pmid=31335063 |last2=Mehra |first2=Divy |last3=Le |first3=Patrick H.}}</ref>

==Classification==
It is classified as either [[dense regular connective tissue]] or [[dense irregular connective tissue]].<ref name="isbn0-7817-8577-4">{{cite book |author1=Strum, Judy M. |author2=Gartner, Leslie P. |author3=Hiatt, James L. |title=Cell biology and Histology |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |location=Hagerstwon, MD |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7817-8577-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/cellbiologyhisto00gart/page/83 83] |url=https://archive.org/details/cellbiologyhisto00gart/page/83 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Loose connective tissue]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{UCDavisOrganology|TermsCells&Tissues/connective/dense/dense1}} - "Connective tissue, dense (LM, Low)"
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061002061413/http://www.cytochemistry.net/microanatomy/connective_tissue/dense_connective_tissue.htm Histology at cytochemistry.net]
* [http://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/histomanual/connective.html Overview at downstate.edu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212032/http://ect.downstate.edu/courseware/histomanual/connective.html |date=2016-03-03 }}

{{Connective tissue}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Connective tissue]]


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