Dense Connective Tissue

aponeuroses

a tendinous sheet that attaches a broad, flat muscle to another muscle or to several bones of the skeleton; stabilizes the position of tendons and ligaments

capsule

a thick, fibrous layer formed by dense irregular connective tissue; surrounds internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and spleen and encloses the cavities of joints

collagenous tissue

another name for dense connective tissue, which mainly contains collagen fibers

ligaments

cords of dense regular connective tissue that attach one bone to another; stabilizes the position of internal organs

tendons

cords of dense regular connective tissue that attach skeletal muscles to bone

elastic tissue

tissue made up mainly of elastic fibers; help stabilize the positions of the vertebrae of the spinal column; cushions shocks and permits expansion of organs; stabilizes the position of the vertebrae

dense regular connective tissue

tissue where the collagen fibers are parallel to each other; tightly packed; high resistance to tension; types are tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses; covered in fibroblasts

dense irregular connective tissue

tissue where the collagen fibers form a random interwoven network; provides strength to areas subject to tension from many directions; layered in skin, around cartilages, around bones, and form capsules around some organs

dense connective tissue

type of connective tissue proper; tightly packed with lots of collagen and elastic fibers; often called collagenous tissue; 3 types are dense regular, dense irregular, and elastic