Areolar tissue is a type of loose connective tissue consisting of a meshwork of collagen, elastic tissue, and reticular fibers interspersed with numerous connective tissue cells. It binds the skin to underlying muscles and organs while allowing a high degree of relative movement.

Of the three types of fibers in areolar connective tissue, only collagen is visible in the accompanying image. The other two types of fibers, elastic and reticular, do not show up in this image, even though they are there. Some of the dark dots in the images are the nuclei of areolar connective tissue cells. The most common cell type is the fibroblast, but areolar connective tissue also contains macrophages, mast cells, and white blood cells.