The most common type of connective tissue cells that are flat and spindle shaped with processes extending out from the ends of the cell body. They secrete and synthesize an extracellular matrix that is rich in collagen proteins and other macromolecules (large complex molecules, including not only proteins but also carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids, all of which have relatively large molecular weights). These proteins are essential in maintaining a structural framework for many tissues, as well as playing an important role in healing wounds. After tissue injury, they migrate to the site of damage, and there deposit new collagen, thus facilitating the healing process.
See Aponeuroses, Carbohydrates, Collagen, Endochondral ossification, Extracellular matrix, Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Filapodia, Lipids, Nucleic acid, Proliferative cells, Proteins