Question
Which of the following is not a feature of epithelial tissue?
A. Abundant extracellular matrix
B. Polarity
C. High cellularity
D. Avascularity
Answer
A. Abundant extracellular matrix is not a feature of epithelial tissue.
Epithelia are made of tightly packed cells with very little material between them. That high cellularity lets an epithelial sheet form a continuous covering or lining. A large amount of extracellular matrix is more characteristic of connective tissue.
Why the other choices are features
- Polarity: epithelial cells have distinct apical and basal surfaces with different structures and functions.
- High cellularity: cells sit close together and leave little extracellular space.
- Avascularity: blood vessels do not normally enter the epithelial layer; nutrients reach it from underlying tissue or an exposed surface by diffusion or absorption.
The best answer is therefore A, abundant extracellular matrix.
Evidence boundary
This answer follows the four-option Pearson version of the question. The target phrase uses “epithelia,” while the source prompt uses “epithelial tissue”; they refer to the same tissue category. Other online versions use different choices, and those choices are not part of this page. “Avascular” follows the textbook description that epithelial tissue is nearly completely avascular; it does not mean the supporting connective tissue lacks vessels.
Sources
These references support the concepts and methods used in the explanation above.