Connective Tissue

• Two specializations of connective tissue are that it physically supports and connects other tissues and it maintains water as interstitial fluid for nutrient and metabolite diffusion
• Connective tissue is primarily made of extracellular matric, rather than cell
• ECM is made up of protein fibers and ground substance
• Connective tissue forms the stroma, which supports the organ's unique functional components or parenchyma
• Mesenchyme is the embryonic connective tissue