Dense, Regular Connective Tissue

Collagenous

#3 Muscle and Tendon, Human, H&E

The thick, collagenous bundles of the tendon run parallel to each other, slight waviness of the tissue is due to fixation. Rows of fibroblasts with heterochromatic nuclei are aligned between the collagenous bundles. Compare the appearance of the collagen bundles (Type I collagen) and fibroblasts with that of the skeletal muscle fibers on the same section.

#11 Bone, rib (H&E)

Find the regions of the dense fibrous regularly arranged connective tissue (tendon). Collagen is stained pink and can be distinguished from skeletal muscle that is stained purple. Note the fibroblasts aligned along the collagen fibers in the tendon. These are flattened cells with heterochromatic nuclei.

Elastic

#20 Aorta (Elastin stain)

The fibers are predominantly elastic rather than collagenous. Elastic fibers stain reddish-brown to black and form prominent fenestrated, elastic sheets in the aorta.