connective tissue

supporting or packing tissue within the body that holds or separates other tissues and organs. It consists of a ground material composed of substances called mucopolysaccharides. In this, certain fibres such as yellow elastic, white collagenous and reticular fibres are embedded along with a variety of other cells, e.g MAST CELLS , MACROPHAGES , fibroblasts and fat cells. The constituents vary in proportions in different kinds of connective tissue to produce a number of distinct types. Examples are ADIPOSE TISSUE , CARTILAGE , BONE , TENDONS and LIGAMENTS .