Bone, ligament, cartilage, fascia, and tendon are all connective tissues, but they differ in composition, location, and function. Bone provides rigid support; ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect muscle to bone; cartilage cushions and supports; and fascia surrounds and links body structures.
Structure and Function
Their functions depend on the arrangement of cells, fibres, and extracellular material within each tissue.
| Tissue | Main structural features | Main functions |
|---|---|---|
| Bone | Living, vascular tissue with a collagen matrix hardened by mineral salts, mainly calcium phosphate | Supports the body, protects organs, provides levers for movement, stores minerals, and contains marrow |
| Ligament | Bands of dense connective tissue containing mainly collagen fibres, with some elastic fibres | Connects bone to bone across a joint, stabilizing the joint while allowing controlled movement |
| Cartilage | Firm, flexible, largely avascular tissue containing chondrocytes within an extracellular matrix | Covers articulating bone surfaces, reduces friction, absorbs shock, and provides flexible support |
| Fascia | Sheets or bands of fibrous connective tissue, principally containing collagen | Surrounds, separates, supports, and connects muscles, organs, blood vessels, and other structures |
| Tendon | Dense, regularly arranged collagen fibres aligned with the direction of force | Connects muscle to bone and transmits muscular force to produce movement at a joint |
Ligaments and tendons both resist tensile forces because they contain abundant collagen. However, tendon fibres are especially parallel, making tendons effective at transmitting force in one main direction. Ligaments require enough flexibility to stabilize joints without completely preventing movement.
Cartilage has no direct blood supply, while tendons and ligaments have relatively limited vascularity. Consequently, these tissues generally heal more slowly than well-vascularized bone.
Exam Technique
A common misconception is that tendons connect bones together. Correct this explicitly: tendon means muscle to bone, whereas ligament means bone to bone. In an IB SEHS B.1.2 response, link each tissue's structure to its function rather than merely listing definitions; for example, explain that parallel collagen fibres enable a tendon to transmit tensile force.
