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
What is the function of chondrocytes in the extracellular matrix?
They produce and maintain the matrix
What type of tissue is perichondrium?
A dense connective tissue
What do the fibroblast-like cells of the perichondrium give rise to?
Flat, newly formed chondroblasts
What do chondroblasts secrete?
Matrix components
What eventually happens to chondroblasts?
They round up to develop chondrocytes
What is the result of the formation of chondrocytes from chondroblasts?
The formation of cartilage
What is the cartilaginous growth from the periphery known as?
Appositional growth
What may happen to chondrocytes deeper in the cartilage?
They may divide and give rise to isogenous groups by mitosis
What is the result of deposition of further matrix by the isogenous groups formed deeper in the matrix?
Interstital growth
What happens to the cells of isogenous groups as they lay down further matrix?
They separate
How can you tell when chondrocytes have recently divided?
They are close together
What features of cartilage permit resilience to varying pressure levels?
NAME?
Why does territoral matrix tend to stain darker with H&E stain than interterritoral matrix?
It is more highly sulphated
What directs the synthetic activity of chondrocytes?
Pressure loads applied lead to the cartilage creating mechanical, electrical and chemical signals
What is the precursor of most bones?
A hyaline cartilage model or template
What happens to the hyaline cartilage model for bones?
It’s mineralised to form bone
What happens to the hyaline cartilage of developing tarsal bones?
It will ossify
What is not present at articulating surfaces?
Perichondrium
Where is perichondrium found?
At non-articulating surfaces and contributing to developing joint capsule
How is hyaline cartilage positioned at the end of a long bone that hasn’t finished developing?
It lines the articulating surface of the bone, and forms the epiphyseal growth plates
What is the epiphysis?
The head of bone
What is found at the epiphysis?
Spongy/cancellous bone, with compact bone at sides
What does the growth plate separate?
The epiphysis and metaphysis
What is the metaphysis?
The wide region between the epiphysis and diaphysis
What is the diaphysis?
The shaft of the bone
Where do the chondrocytes of the cartilage at the epiphyseal edge of long bones lie?
In lacuna
Is the articular surface of bone smooth or rough?
Smooth
What is the advantage of the articular surface of bone being very smooth?
Provides relatively friction free articulation
What is the articular surface of long bone composed of?
Hyaline cartilage without perichondrium
What is the advantage of the irregular boundary between articular cartilage and underlying bone?
There’s less likelihood of one sliding of the other
Do elastic fibres calcify with ageing?
No, unlike hyaline
Where is elastic cartilage found?
- Pinna of ear
- External acoustic meatus
- Epiglottis
- Eustachian tube
What are the layers of the pinna of the ear?
- Muscle
- Adipose tissue
- Fibrocollagenous tissue
- Elastic cartilage
- More fibrocollagenous tissue
- Dermis
- Epidermis
How do elastic fibres lying in the extracellular matrix stain?
Darkly
What are the cell types in fibrocartilage?
Chondrocytes and fibroblasts
What is fibrocartilage a combination of?
Dense regular connective tissue and hyaline cartilage
How are cells often seen to be distributed in fibrocartilage?
In rows
Does fibrocartilage have surrounding perichondrium?
No
What kind of locations does fibrocartilage tend to be present?
Places where huge amounts of pressure can be applied
Give 4 locations fibrocartilage is found
- Sternoclavicular joint
- Temperomandibular joint
- Menisci of knee
- Pubic symphysis
What is the advantage of the resilience of fibrocartilage?
It can act as a shock absorber and resist shearing forces
How are chondrocytes arranged in fibrocartilage?
In rows or as isogenous groups