GENERAL HISTOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Basement membrane is NOT found in connective tissue. Connective tissue protects and supports tissues and organs, stores energy reserves as fat, and helps provide immunity. Connective tissue consists of two basic elements: the extracellular matrix and cells.

Detailed explanation-2: -Type IV collagen is the main collagen component of the basement membrane. It is a network-forming collagen that underlies epithelial and endothelial cells and functions as a barrier between tissue compartments.

Detailed explanation-3: -Contractile proteins are absent in connective tissue. They are found in muscles.

Detailed explanation-4: -The exact composition is dynamic and differs depending on the tissue. The basement membrane can be found in almost every tissue and can either lie underneath endothelial and epithelial cells, separate cells from the underlying connective tissue, or surround cells (like muscle, fat, and nerve cells).

Detailed explanation-5: -Basement membranes are thin sheet-like extracellular structures that form an anatomical barrier wherever cells meet connective tissues. They provide a substrate for organs and cells and relay important signals for the development of organs and for differentiation and maintenance of the tissue.