G5 - Cartilage & Bone Flashcards
What is cartilage and what are its functions?
Specialized connective tissue
Supports soft tissues, is the model for fetal bone formation, and involved in wound/fracture healing
List some examples of cartilaginous movable joints.
Articulate cartilage
Menisci
List some examples of non-joint cartilaginous structures.
Nose, ear, larynx, trachea, intervertebral discs
Cartilage is vascular. T or F?
False because it is not innervated —> gives it limited ability for repair
This type of specialized connective tissue is compressible and resilient.
Cartilage
What is cartilage composed of?
Fibers, ECM with lots of water, contains an anionic charge (acidic)
What are the red arrows pointing at?
Cartilage plates, which are areas of new bone growth
What is the extracellular matrix of cartilage made up of?
Collagen II, aggrecan (proteoglycans), chondronectin (structural glycoproteins)
What are each of the arrows pointing at?
Black arrow = aggrecan (proteoglycan)
Yellow arrow = hyaluronic acid
Green arrow = Collagen type II
What cells are found in cartilage and what is the difference between them?
Chondroblasts - young cells that divide and produce ECM
Chondrocytes - mature cells that can also divide
What is an isogenous unit?
A cluster of chondrocytes
Where do chondrocytes live in cartilage?
Lacunae
What is perichondrium? What are its qualities?
Dense connective tissue surrounding cartilage of developing bone
Fibrous, cellular, is vascular so has ability to repair
How is cartilage formed?
Undifferentiated mesenchymal cells —> differentiate into chondroblasts —> chondroblasts secrete components of ECM (aggrecan and Collagen II) —> eventually get embedded in matrix, forming chondrocytes within lacunae
What is circled in red with the black arrow pointing to it? What is the other black arrow pointing at?
Chondrocyte (can tell is newer because has euchromatic nucleus)
Collagen type II
What are territorial and interterritorial matrix? What is the difference between the two?
Territorial = cartilage closer to chondrocytes
Interterritorial = cartilage further from chondrocytes
Territorial stains darker than interterritorial because it has a higher concentration of GAGs, making it basophilic
What is appositional vs interstitial growth?
Both refer to growth of cartilage, but appositional occurs because of the presence of the perichondrium whereas interstitial occurs from chondrocytes within cartilage
What are the different types of cartilage? What is the composition of each?
Hyaline (glassy) - collagen type II and proteoglycans
Elastic - elastic fibers (ex. Ear, epiglottis)
Fibrocartilage - collagen I (important for mechanics)
What type of cartilage is shown here?
Hyaline
What type of cartilage is shown on the left? What about the right?
Elastic cartilage
Fibrocartilage
What type of cartilage does not have perichondrium?
Fibrocartilage
What is articular cartilage? What nourishes it?
Hyaline cartilage at joints
Nourished by synovial fluid, since it has no perichondrium
Can articular cartilage heal from damage well?
No because it has no perichondrium so superficial lesions don’t heal
What type of cartilage is shown here? What is the square encasing? What is the blue star showing? The red star? What is scribbled out in black?=
Articular cartilage
Chondrocytes
Synovial fluid
Bone marrow cavity
Synovial joint cavity
What will happen if you have a low amount of chondrocytes?
Low amount of matrix synthesized and you have damage to cartilage
What is osteoarthritis?
Form of cartilage and bone degeneration from mechanical wear and tear
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Occurs when cells of the immune system produce factors that damage cartilage
What is eburnation and when does it occur?
Rubbing of bones together, is seen in rheumatoid arthritis patients when cartilage between bones is worn down
What does bone do?
Supports and protects fleshy structures and organs, holds calcium and phosphate, houses bone marrow which is the source of our immune cells, vascular function, is constantly remodeling (metabolically active)