Short answers, pulled from the story.
Johannes Peter Müller coined the term connective tissue in 1830. This biological material had been holding human bodies together for millennia before his name was attached to it. The substance exists in the spaces between other tissues and acts as the fundamental scaffold of animal life.
Collagen fibers bind bones and tissues together and form alpha polypeptide chains that make up approximately 25% of the total protein content in a mammal. Elastic fibers allow organs to recoil and resist stretching forces while reticular fibers create a scaffolding for other cells to attach to. These fibers are suspended in a matrix containing glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans.
Loose connective tissue contains much more ground substance and a relative lack of fibrous tissue to serve as a medium for oxygen and nutrients. Dense regular connective tissue features collagen fibers arranged in an orderly parallel fashion to give immense tensile strength in one direction. Dense irregular connective tissue provides strength in multiple directions through dense bundles of fibers arranged in all directions.
Mesenchyme is a type of connective tissue found in the developing organs of an embryo. It is derived from the mesoderm and is capable of differentiation into all types of mature connective tissue. Another type of relatively undifferentiated connective tissue is mucous connective tissue known as Wharton's jelly found inside the umbilical cord.
Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome are congenital diseases that affect the connective tissue leading to hypermobility and structural weakness. Scurvy caused by a deficiency of vitamin C which is necessary for the synthesis of collagen demonstrates how a lack of a single nutrient can unravel the body's framework. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a major autoimmune disease of connective tissue.