People often talk about tendons and ligaments as if they are the same thing, but these two types of soft tissue actually perform different functions for the body.

A tendon connects muscle to bone. These tough, yet flexible, bands of fibrous tissue attach to the skeletal muscles that move your bones. Tendons essentially enable one to move since they act as intermediaries between the muscles creating the motion of the bones.

I'd say the most famous tendon is the Achilles tendon (named after the character Brad Pitt played in the movie Troy) which connects the muscles of your calf to your heel. Also, if you watch the tops of your hands while you type, you can see your tendons at work. Pretty cool, huh?

So what's a ligament? If you want to know then read more

Ligaments are similar to tendons, but they connect bone to bone and help to stabilize joints. They are composed mostly of long, stringy collagen fibers creating short bands of tough fibrous connective tissue.

Ligaments are slightly elastic, so they can be stretched to gradually lengthen increasing flexibility. Athletes and dancers stretch their ligaments to make their joints more supple, and to prevent injury.

Here's a cool fact: The term double-jointed refers to people who have more elastic ligaments.

You might have heard of some of the ligaments found in the knee since they often tear, especially the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) when skiing. In fact four ligaments connect the tibia (shin bone) to the femur (thigh bone) to provide structure for the knee.