Cartilage Flashcards
Types of cartilage
Hyaline cartilage - most common
Elastic cartilage - less common
Fibrocartilage - least common
General features of cartilage
Semi-rigid due to high water content
Important in shock absorption
Avascular
Not innervated
No lymphatic vessels
Perichondrium
Dense irregular collagenous CT sheath covering that is associated with hyaline and elastic cartilage
Vascular
Consists of an outer fibrous layer and an inner cellular layer with chondroblasts
Chondroblasts
Located in the inner cellular layer of the perichondrium
Produce extracellular matrix which allows cartilage to grow from the periphery (appositional growth)
Will become a chondrocyte as more matrix is developed
Chondrocytes
Produce extracellular matrix in cartilage
Located in spaces in extracellular matrix called lacunae
Hyaline Cartilage
Most common type of cartilage
Type II collagen
Located most notably on articular surfaces of movable joints in the body (articular cartilage)
Contains chondrocytes which can form isogenous clusters/groups - produce matrix in their own lacuna
Interstitial growth
Production of matrix via chondrocytes in hyaline cartilage; occurs only in the early phase of hyaline cartilage formation
Occurs in articular cartilage and in epiphysial plates of long bones
Elastic Cartilage
Looks similar to hyaline cartilage but has elastic fibers
Has a perichondrium
Chondrocytes located in lacunae - tend to be closer together than in hyaline
Fibrocartilage
Looks similar to dense connective tissue but has chondrocytes in lacunae
Often found in association with hyaline cartilage and dense connective tissue
No perichondrium
Glycosaminoglycans (GAG’s)
Negatively charged; bring in extracellular fluid; results in hydration of ground substance to resist compressive forces
Proteoglycans
Have a protein core that allows GAG’s to bind. Large, space-occupying molecules that resist compression
Glycoproteins
Cell adhesive functions; facilitate attachment of cells to extracellular matrix; binding component
