Cartilage and Bone Flashcards
Is cartilage a vascular or avascular tissue?
Vascular
What does cartilage consist of?
An extensive cellular matrix in which lies chondrocytes
What is the space for each chondrocyte called?
Lacuna
What is the role of chondrocytes?
Produce and maintain the extracellular matrix
What does the large ratio of GAGs to type II collagen in the cartilage matrix permit?
Ready diffusion of substances between chondrocytes and the blood vessels surrounding the cartilage
How could the extracellular matrix of cartilage be described?
Solid and firm, but also rather pliable
What is the advantage of the cartilage matrix being pliable?
It makes it resilient to repeated application of pressure, and so allows cartilage to act as shock absorbance
What is there a large amount of in the extracellular matrix?
Hyalyronic acid
What is the purpose of the hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix?
It assists the resilience to repeated application of pressure
What are the 3 types of cartilage?
NAME?
What does hyaline cartilage matrix contain?
Proteoglycans, hyaluronic acid and type II collagen
What are the hyaluronic proteoglycan aggregates bound to in hyaline cartilage?
Fine collagen matrix fibres
What is the matrix of elastic cartilage like?
Like that of hyaline cartilage, but with addition of many elastic fibres and elastic lamellae
What does fibrocartilage have it its matrix?
Abundant type I collagen fibres, in addition to matrix material of hyaline cartilage
What is the cell type in hyaline cartilage?
Chondrocytes
No other cell type present
How are chondrocytes present in hyaline cartilage?
Singly, or, if recently divided, in small clusters called isogenous groups
What happens to chondrocytes within the isogenous groups?
They separate as they elaborate extracellular matrix
Why is hyaline cartilage important in early fetal development?
It is the precursor model of those bones which develop by endochondral ossification
What happens as long bones develop?
Some hyaline cartilage remains at the articulating surface, and at epiphyseal growth plate until growth ceases
Where is hyaline cartilage seated?
NAME?
What covers the margin of hyaline cartilage?
Perichondrium
What does perichondrium contain?
Many elongated, fibroblast-like cells
What can happen to the fibroblast like cells in perichondrium?
They can develop into chondroblasts, and thereafter chrondrocytes
Where do chrondrocytes lie?
In cartilage extracellular matrix