tendon

/ten"deuhn/, n.

1. Anat. a cord or band of dense, tough, inelastic, white, fibrous tissue, serving to connect a muscle with a bone or part; sinew.

2. a reinforcing strand in prestressed concrete.

[1535-45; < ML tendon- (s. of tendo) < Gk ténon sinew (sp. with -d- by association with L tendere to stretch)]

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Tissue attaching a muscle to other body parts, usually bones, to transmit the mechanical force of muscle contraction to the other part.

Much like ligaments, tendons are composed of dense, fibrous connective tissue with a high collagen content, which makes them remarkably tough and strong, with great tensile strength to withstand the stresses generated by muscle contraction.

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▪ anatomy

      tissue that attaches a muscle to other body parts, usually bones (bone). Tendons are the connective tissues (connective tissue) that transmit the mechanical force of muscle contraction to the bones; the tendon is firmly connected to muscle fibres at one end and to components of the bone at its other end. A tendon is composed of dense fibrous connective tissue made up primarily of spindle-shaped cells called fibrocytes and of collagenous (collagen) fibres. The tendon is attached to the bone by collagenous fibres (Sharpey fibres) that continue into the matrix of the bone. The composition of a tendon is similar to that of ligaments (ligament) and aponeuroses (aponeurosis). The great tensile strength of tendons, which is necessary to withstand the stresses generated by muscular contraction, is made possible by the large quantity of collagenous fibres, which are remarkably tough and strong.

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