Connective tissue provides support, binds together, and protects tissues and organs of the body.
Connective tissue consists of three main components: cells, protein fibers, and an amorphous ground substance.
Together the fibers and ground substance make up the extracellular matrix.
Permanent tissues are the plant tissues that have lost the ability to grow and divide.
Whereas the other tissue types (epithelium, muscle, and nervous tissue) are largely made up of cells, the extracellular matrix is the major component of most connective tissue.