a thin piece of wood or other rigid material used to immobilize a fractured or dislocated bone, or to maintain any part of the body in a fixed position. 2. one of a number of thin strips of wood woven together to make a chair seat, basket, etc.
If you take a close look at epithelial cells using a microscope, you will see them tightly packed together. This helps make a protective barrier for our bodies. There are also some special door-like connections between each epithelial cell called gap junctions. The gap junctions are where the cells exchange nutrients.
So it makes sense that epithelial tissue cells would be closely packed together. Bone tissue cells are structured in a more spread-out matrix with blood vessels connected to the tissue. This makes sense when considering that the bones need to support while being lightweight.