Question

Tendons and ligaments are examples of
A. Fibrous connective tissue
B. Cartilage
C. Muscular tissue
D. Adipose tissue

Answer 1

Hint: Tendons and ligaments are essential components of the skeletal system as they join bones and muscles together. They are composed of parallel bundles of collagen fibers. This allows them to provide strength as well as the flexibility to the bones and muscles.

Complete answer:
Tendons and ligaments form the connecting part of the skeletal system in humans. Thus, they are connective tissues. Tendons are specialized to join a bone to a muscle and ligament is specialized to join two or more bones together. Both of them have a particular cell type called fibroblasts. The fibroblasts form the structural framework of connective tissues. Thus, tendons and ligaments are an important class of fibrous connective tissues.

Tendons are stronger and non-flexible as compared to ligaments. Ligaments, on the other hand, are more elastic and flexible. Both of them function to play a vital role in joints and bone movements. Thus, they form an integral part of locomotion in all of the higher organisms. These fibrous connective tissues have a large amount of collagen. The ligaments are further classified as articular ligaments, peritoneal ligaments and remnant ligaments. But tendons have no such classification. Ligaments are compactly packed as compared to tendons. The tendon fibres are compact and are present in a parallel bundle arrangement. Also, the fibroblasts of tendons lie in continuous rows. Whereas the fibroblasts in ligaments are in scattered form.
So, option (A) is the right answer.

Note: Tendons and ligaments lack blood vessels due to which they appear white as compared to muscles. This is also a reason for the delayed healing process of tendons and ligaments. The blood contains various specialized cells and proteins that heal injuries rapidly. But tendons and ligaments lack blood vessels due to which they take much time to recover from injuries.