Chapter 4 - cartilage and bone

Question 1

State the function of hyaline, fibrocartilage and elastic cartilage,
and where these cartilage types are found in the body.

Answer 1

Hyaline: is the weakest form of cartilage and its found in fetal skeletons and the ends of bone that articulate with each other.
fibrocartilage: densely interwoven collagen fibres allow it to be durable. its found in the vertebral disc, pubic symphysis and menisci of the knee. it acts as a shock absorber.
elastic cartilage: contains elastic fibres that allow it to bend and snap back into original form. found in the external ear and epiglottis.

Question 2

List the functions of bone

Answer 2

bone is a solid connective tissue that supports and protects the body and its organs, allows for movement, used for storage and mineral release, and involved in hemopoiesis.

Question 3

Describe the structure of a long bone and relate this to its growth

Answer 3

the diaphysis is the elongated shaft of the long bone. the epiphysis are the knobs at the end of the bone that provide strength and articulate with other bones. the metaphysis is the region between the diaphysis and the epiphysis and it contains the epiphyseal line / growth plate.

Question 4

Differentiate compact vs spongy bone

Answer 4

compact bone is solid and dense and it makes up the external of the bone. spongy bone is an open lattice of narrow plates called trabeculae.

Question 5

Name the specialised cell types of bone.

Answer 5

osteoprogentitor cells: are the stem cells found in endosteum and periostium and can produce more stem cells or osteoblasts.
Osteoblasts: are cuboidal in shape and secretes bone matrix. turn into osteocytes when trapped in matrix.
Osteocytes: are mature bone cells that lay with the lacunae. they maintain the matrix and detect mechanical stress on the bone.
Osteoclasts: are multinuclear cells that dissolve bone matrix (remove bone and release calcium).

Question 6

Describe endochondral and intramembranous ossification, and

where these occur in the body

Answer 6

endochondral ossification begins with hyaline cartilage model and produces most bones in the body. intremembranous ossification begins with the mesenchyme and produces flat bones of skull, some facial bones, mandible and central portion of clavicle.