tendons

Meaning: Tendons are bands of dense regular connective tissue that attach skeletal muscle to bone. Fibroblasts secrete collagen, and the collagen fibers run parallel to the direction of pull, which gives high tensile strength with little stretch. When a muscle contracts, the force passes through the tendon to the bone, which acts as a lever and moves the joint. Tendons have few cells and a limited blood supply, so they tend to heal slowly.

On the MCAT: Expect a question that asks you to name the structure: muscle to bone is a tendon, bone to bone is a ligament. Musculoskeletal passages may ask which tissue type is involved (connective tissue, not muscle) or why injuries heal slowly (limited blood supply). Physics questions on levers often use a muscle whose tendon attaches close to a joint, such as the biceps at the elbow. The attachment is a short distance from the fulcrum, so the muscle must exert a force larger than the load it lifts.

Common confusion: Students swap tendons and ligaments. Tendons join muscle to bone, and ligaments join bone to bone across a joint. Tendons are not muscle and do not contract. They are passive connective tissue that transmits force. Cartilage, which cushions joint surfaces, is a different tissue.