Histology of Cartilage Flashcards
What is cartilage?
General characteristics, histology, constituents, structure-function organisation
What are the 3 types of cartilage?
Hyaline cartilage
Fibrocartilage
Elastic cartilage
What is mesenchyme?
a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood or bone.
What cells mesenchymal cells make?
osteoblasts
endothelium & mesothelium
fibroblasts
chondroblasts
What cell is shown in this diagram?
chondroblasts
What tissue is shown here?
mesenchyme
Where do the chondrocytes lie in the matrix tehy produce?
lacunae
What is a fully developed chondrob;ast called?
chondrocyte
What is more active a chondrocyte or chondroblast?
Chondroblasts
What makes up the extracellular matrix?
ground substance + fibres
What protein is mostly found in the ECM?
Collagen fibres (mostly Type II).
What else can cartilage have in the ECM?
elastic fibres-elastic cartilage
What is the gel part of the ECM?
Gel of a firm consistency
What is the ECM rich in?
carbohydrates (glycoproteins) and water
what is a glycoprotein?
protein core with carbohydrate groups attached
What is the 3 criteria to distinguish hyaline cartilage?
Glassy/glistening, opalescent, firm consistency
Where is hyaline cartilage found?
Costal, nasal, some laryngeal, tracheobronchial, articular cartilage are all of hyaline type
What is a cell nest?
formed of two or more cells (parent and offspring)
What do hyaline cartilage allow?
assists in motion of joints – synovial joints
What type of cartilage is shown here?
hyaline
where do hyaline chondrocytes appear flat?
Cells appear flat near perichondrium but become rounded deep inside tissue
What type of cartilage is shown?
firbocartilage
fibres apparent
Is fibrocrtilage elastic?
no
Describe fibrocartilage
dense collagenous tissue with associated fibroblasts
What are the chondrocytes surrounded by in the fibrocartilage?
striated matrix
Where would you find the fibrocartilage?
Found in intervertebral discs, symphyses – shock absorber
What tyoe of cartilage is shown here?
elastic (yellow)
Where is elastic cartilage located?
External ear, epiglottis, apices of arytenoid cartilages of larynx
What are the vibrational functions of elastic cartilage?
Vibrational function – sound-wave production (larynx), collection and transmission (ear)
What is different about the ECM of elastic cartilage?
Typical chondrocytes but matrix has preponderance of elastic fibres
How are nutrients passed to cartilage?
cartilage channels do exist = pores from blood vessels into cartilage matrix
What types of growth does cartilage use?
interstitial
appositional
What is interstitial growth?
from within by mitosis of early chondroblasts. Obvious in young tissue
What is appositional growth?
at surfaces by division of perichondrial cells
What type of cartilage growth makes the cartilage longer?
interstitial growth
What does regeneration of cartilage depend upon?
Regeneration depends upon nutrition and hormonal environment, older tissues may calcify
In old age, what can occur to cartilage?
ossify
What is a low vascularity?
low blood supply to matrix
What is the benefit of a low blood supply?
doesn’t get infected easily
transplant easily, no immune reaction
low antigenicity
