DEX Internet of Things (IoT) Practice Test

A tendon is a white fibrous cord of dense, regularly arranged connective tissue that serves the crucial function of connecting muscle to bone. Tendons are designed to withstand strong pulling forces, allowing muscles to exert force on bones to facilitate movement. Their structure, composed primarily of collagen fibers, provides the necessary strength and durability for their role in the musculoskeletal system.

In contrast, ligaments are also made of connective tissue but primarily connect bones to other bones, providing stability to joints rather than linking muscles to bones. The meniscus refers to a crescent-shaped cartilage structure found in certain joints, like the knee, which helps absorb shock and stabilize the joint, rather than connecting muscles to bones. The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of bones and serves as an attachment site for tendons and ligaments, but it is not the cord that links muscle to bone itself. Thus, the defining characteristics of tendons make them the correct answer for this question.