Which type of fiber is primarily found as a major component of tendons and ligaments?

Which type of fiber is primarily found as a major component of tendons and ligaments?

• A. Elastic fibers
• B. Collagen fibers
• C. Reticular fibers
• D. Nerve fibers

Answer: (B)

When tissues need to withstand pulling forces, the main structural support comes from collagen fibers. In tendons and ligaments, collagen—especially type I collagen—forms thick, parallel bundles that align with the direction of the applied force, giving these structures high tensile strength and resistance to stretching. Elastic fibers provide some stretch, but they’re not the primary load-bearing component in these tissues. Reticular fibers create supportive networks in organs like the liver and spleen, not the main fibers of tendons or ligaments. Nerve fibers are neural tissue, not part of the connective tissue’s tensile framework. So the fiber type that is the major component of tendons and ligaments is collagen fibers.

When tissues need to withstand pulling forces, the main structural support comes from collagen fibers. In tendons and ligaments, collagen—especially type I collagen—forms thick, parallel bundles that align with the direction of the applied force, giving these structures high tensile strength and resistance to stretching. Elastic fibers provide some stretch, but they’re not the primary load-bearing component in these tissues. Reticular fibers create supportive networks in organs like the liver and spleen, not the main fibers of tendons or ligaments. Nerve fibers are neural tissue, not part of the connective tissue’s tensile framework. So the fiber type that is the major component of tendons and ligaments is collagen fibers.