Question

Differentiate between ligaments and tendons.

Answer 1

Ligaments

1. The ligaments are dense yellow fibrous connective tissues, which possess strength and high elasticity with the little matrix.
2. The ligament connects or binds a bone with another bone.
3. A ligament is made up of a number of yellow elastin fibers and bundles of white collagen fibers and are bounded together with the help of areolar tissue.
4. The fibroblasts remain compressed in between the rows of fibres.
5. When a ligament gets overstretched, it produces a sprain.

Tendons

1. The tendons are dense white fibrous connective tissues which possess strength and limited elasticity with more matrix.
2. The tendons consist of parallel bundles of collagen fibres with rows of flat fibroblasts between them.
3. These fibroblasts are called tendinocytes.

Characteristics	Ligaments	Tendons
Nature	Strong and elastic	Tough and inelastic
White fibres	Arranged in various directions	Arranged in parallel rows
Yellow fibres	These are present	These are absent
Fibroblasts	lie scattered in the matrix	arranged in rows.