Final answer:
The term 'abundant matrix' is not characteristic of epithelial tissue; rather, epithelial tissues have little or no extracellular matrix as their cells are closely packed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic that is not a feature of epithelium is 'abundant matrix'. Epithelial tissues generally have little to no extracellular matrix between cells, as they are tightly packed together with minimal space for extracellular substance. Abundant matrix is not a characteristic of epithelium. Epithelial tissues are nearly completely avascular and have a highly mitotic nature. They also have a free surface and are connected through intercellular junctions.
Epithelial cells are characterized by having tight junctions for an impermeable barrier, anchoring junctions for cell-to-cell or cell-to-matrix adhesion, and gap junctions for molecular communication between cells. Additionally, epithelium is avascular, meaning it does not contain blood vessels, and it is highly mitotic, allowing for quick regeneration.