Final answer:
Dense regular connective tissue, rich in tightly aligned collagen fibers, composes the tendons and ligaments, providing them with strength and resistance to stretching. Tendons connect muscles to bones and handle the force of muscle contractions, while ligaments contain elastin and collagen to support joint stability and allow for elastic movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The connective tissue that makes up the tendons and ligaments of the body is called dense regular connective tissue. This type of tissue contains a high amount of collagen fibers, which are aligned parallel to each other, thus providing the tissue with great tensile strength and resistance to stretching in the direction of the fiber orientations. Tendons, which connect muscles to bones, have collagen fibers that are tightly packed and aligned to handle the force of muscle contractions. Ligaments, on the other hand, while also made of dense regular connective tissue, contain both collagen and elastin fibers. Elastin fibers allow ligaments to stretch and then return to their original length, providing elasticity necessary for movements like the retraction and side-to-side motions of the mandible. Additionally, ligaments are composed of bands of fibrous connective tissue that hold bones together and maintain the structure of the skeleton by resisting forces that might otherwise cause joint dislocations.