Dense irregular connective tissue stretching forces from different directions. Dense irregular connective tissue also makes up submucosa of the digestive tract, fibrous capsules of joints and lymph nodes, and some types of fascia. Other examples include periosteum and perichondrium of bones, and the tunica albuginea of testis. In the submucosa layer, the fiber bundles course in varying planes allowing the organ to resist excessive stretching and distension. Dense irregular connective tissue Dense irregular connective tissue has fibers that are not arranged in parallel bundles as in dense regular connective tissue. Dense irregular connective tissue consists of mostly collagen fibers. It has less ground substance
Collagen can be mild while others can be lethal. Mild cases have lowered levels of collagen type 1 while severe cases have structural defects in collagen. Chondrodysplasias – Skeletal disorder believed to be caused by a mutation in type 2 collagen, further research is being conducted to confirm this. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – Six different types of this disorder, which lead to deformities in connective tissue, are known. Some types can be lethal, leading to the rupture of arteries. Each syndrome is caused by a different mutation, for example type four of this disorder is caused by a mutation in collagen type