Very loosely organized, with diverse cellular and fibrous components.
Comprises closely packed elastic fibers that run in parallel; in preparatory slides, its ground substance often appears dark pink.
Comprises bundles of tightly packed collagen fibers running in parallel waves; fibroblasts lie between the collagen fibers.
Comprises an abundance of reticular fibers that form complicated branching and interweaving patterns.
Clusters of circular cells press against each other, with their nuclei pushed toward their edges; notice that there is relatively little extracellular matrix, and no fibers are present. Each cell holds a single fat droplet, formed by the fusion of lipid droplets.
Comprises cells suspended in an extracellular matrix of protein fibers and ground substance. The specific types and relative proportions of cells, fibers, and ground substance determine the overall structure and function of connective tissues.