Identify the tissue that exhibits the following features.
A.  It has a free surface which faces either a body fluid or the outside environment.
B.  It provides a covering or lining for some part of the body.
C.  The cells are compactly packed with little intercellular matrix.

The tissue that exhibits the described features is epithelial tissue.

• Epithelial tissue often has a free surface that faces a body fluid (e.g., lining the digestive tract, respiratory tract) or the outside environment (e.g., skin).
• It provides covering or lining for various parts of the body, such as the skin, lining of blood vessels, lining of organs, etc.
• Epithelial cells are compactly packed with little intercellular matrix. They form continuous sheets of cells and are tightly joined together by specialized junctions, allowing them to function as barriers and selectively regulate the passage of molecules and substances.