So here we have an example problem that asks, how does the structure of areolar connective tissue help it act as packing material? And we've got these 4 potential answer options down below. Now option a says that the ground substance holds fluid. And so recall from our previous lesson videos that areolar is actually a term for small open spaces, which you can actually see under the light microscope is due to the loose arrangement of protein fibers in the extracellular matrix. And so because areolar connective tissue has those small open spaces or that porous look to it, it's actually able to serve as a reservoir for nutrients and fluids.
And also recall that areolar connective tissue is a type of loose connective tissue, which is a type of connective tissue proper. And recall from our previous lesson videos that connective tissue proper tends to have a gelatinous ground substance that is somewhat of a semi-fluid in between a solid and a liquid. And so because it does have this semi-fluid ground substance, it does allow the ground substance to store some fluid. And so option a is actually going to be true. Now notice option b says a combination of branched and straight fibers create strength.
Now recall from our previous lesson video that areolar connective tissue actually has all three of the protein fibers in its extracellular matrix, including collagen fibers, reticular fibers, and elastic fibers. And recall that the term reticular in reticular fibers is a term that means netlike. And so that reminds us that reticular fibers have collagen proteins arranged in a net-like or a branched fashion. And so for sure, we know it's going to have branched fibers. And also elastic fibers can also be branched and wavy.
Now we know that collagen fibers are actually going to have their collagen proteins arranged in an unbranched or straight pattern. And so, of course, this means that a combination of branched and straight fibers are going to be present, and that's going to help create strength because having straight fibers like collagen fibers creates strength in one particular direction in terms of how it's arranged, and branched fibers can actually create resistance to forces in multiple directions. And so that's going to give it a lot of strength and a lot of versatility. And so option b is also going to be true. And so notice option c says the presence of adipocytes acts as cushions and recall that adipocytes are fat cells that store lipids and so those lipids can actually serve as long term energy storage and they can help provide a cushion and insulation.
And so these adipocytes are found in areolar connective tissue. And so also option C is correct as well. And so this means that answer option D, all of the above is going to be the correct answer for this example problem. And so all of these are going to help areolar connective tissue have the properties that it needs to serve as the universal packing material in the human body. So that concludes this example, and I'll see you all in our next video.