what are the functions of the extracellular matrix of connective tissues?
The extracellular matrix is a meshwork of proteins and carbohydrates that binds cells together or divides one tissue from another. The extracellular matrix is the product principally of connective tissue , one of the four fundamental tissue types, but may also be produced by other cell types, including those in epithelial tissues. In the connective tissue, matrix is secreted by connective tissue cells into the space surrounding them, where it serves to bind cells together.