Which two main connective tissues form the skeleton?

• A. Tendon and Ligament
• B. Blood and Bone Marrow
• C. Muscle and Nerve
• D. Bone and Cartilage

Answer: (D)

The skeleton is built from two main connective tissues: bone and cartilage. Bone forms the rigid framework that supports the body, protects organs, and stores minerals, giving the skeleton its strength and shape. Cartilage provides flexible, smooth surfaces at joints and cushions movements; it especially shapes the developing skeleton and remains at joint surfaces and in structures like the nose and ears in adulthood. Together, these two tissues create the solid framework and the flexible, protective surfaces needed for movement and growth. Other tissues play important roles in function—tendons and ligaments connect parts, blood and bone marrow reside inside bones, and muscles and nerves handle movement and control—but they do not form the primary skeletal framework.