From which tissue is the basement membrane partly derived?

• A. Nervous tissue
• B. Muscle tissue
• C. Connective tissue
• D. Epithelial tissue

Answer: (C)

The basement membrane sits as a thin, specialized extracellular layer between epithelium and the underlying tissue. It has two parts: the basal lamina, secreted by epithelial cells, and the reticular lamina, produced by connective tissue fibroblasts. The reticular lamina, derived from connective tissue, provides the connective-tissue contribution to the basement membrane. Nervous and muscle tissues do not contribute to forming the basement membrane. So the part that comes from connective tissue is the source of the connective-tissue component of the basement membrane.