Histology of Cartilage

Question 1

What is cartilage?

Answer 1

General characteristics, histology, constituents, structure-function organisation

Question 2

What are the 3 types of cartilage?

Answer 2

Hyaline cartilage
Fibrocartilage
Elastic cartilage

Question 3

What is mesenchyme?

Answer 3

a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood or bone.

Question 4

What cells mesenchymal cells make?

Answer 4

osteoblasts
endothelium & mesothelium
fibroblasts
chondroblasts

Question 5

What cell is shown in this diagram?

Answer 5

chondroblasts

Question 6

What tissue is shown here?

Answer 6

mesenchyme

Question 7

Where do the chondrocytes lie in the matrix tehy produce?

Answer 7

lacunae

Question 8

What is a fully developed chondrob;ast called?

Answer 8

chondrocyte

Question 9

What is more active a chondrocyte or chondroblast?

Answer 9

Chondroblasts

Question 10

What makes up the extracellular matrix?

Answer 10

ground substance + fibres

Question 11

What protein is mostly found in the ECM?

Answer 11

Collagen fibres (mostly Type II).

Question 12

What else can cartilage have in the ECM?

Answer 12

elastic fibres-elastic cartilage

Question 13

What is the gel part of the ECM?

Answer 13

Gel of a firm consistency

Question 14

What is the ECM rich in?

Answer 14

carbohydrates (glycoproteins) and water

Question 15

what is a glycoprotein?

Answer 15

protein core with carbohydrate groups attached

Question 16

What is the 3 criteria to distinguish hyaline cartilage?

Answer 16

Glassy/glistening, opalescent, firm consistency

Question 17

Where is hyaline cartilage found?

Answer 17

Costal, nasal, some laryngeal, tracheobronchial, articular cartilage are all of hyaline type

Question 18

What is a cell nest?

Answer 18

formed of two or more cells (parent and offspring)

Question 19

What do hyaline cartilage allow?

Answer 19

assists in motion of joints – synovial joints

Question 20

What type of cartilage is shown here?

Answer 20

hyaline

Question 21

where do hyaline chondrocytes appear flat?

Answer 21

Cells appear flat near perichondrium but become rounded deep inside tissue

Question 22

What type of cartilage is shown?

Answer 22

firbocartilage

fibres apparent

Question 23

Is fibrocrtilage elastic?

Answer 23

no

Question 24

Describe fibrocartilage

Answer 24

dense collagenous tissue with associated fibroblasts

Question 25

What are the chondrocytes surrounded by in the fibrocartilage?

Answer 25

striated matrix

Question 26

Where would you find the fibrocartilage?

Answer 26

Found in intervertebral discs, symphyses – shock absorber

Question 27

What tyoe of cartilage is shown here?

Answer 27

elastic (yellow)

Question 28

Where is elastic cartilage located?

Answer 28

External ear, epiglottis, apices of arytenoid cartilages of larynx

Question 29

What are the vibrational functions of elastic cartilage?

Answer 29

Vibrational function – sound-wave production (larynx), collection and transmission (ear)

Question 30

What is different about the ECM of elastic cartilage?

Answer 30

Typical chondrocytes but matrix has preponderance of elastic fibres

Question 31

How are nutrients passed to cartilage?

Answer 31

cartilage channels do exist = pores from blood vessels into cartilage matrix

Question 32

What types of growth does cartilage use?

Answer 32

interstitial appositional

Question 33

What is interstitial growth?

Answer 33

from within by mitosis of early chondroblasts. Obvious in young tissue

Question 34

What is appositional growth?

Answer 34

at surfaces by division of perichondrial cells

Question 35

What type of cartilage growth makes the cartilage longer?

Answer 35

interstitial growth

Question 36

What does regeneration of cartilage depend upon?

Answer 36

Regeneration depends upon nutrition and hormonal environment, older tissues may calcify

Question 37

In old age, what can occur to cartilage?

Answer 37

ossify

Question 38

What is a low vascularity?

Answer 38

low blood supply to matrix

Question 39

What is the benefit of a low blood supply?

Answer 39

doesn't get infected easily transplant easily, no immune reaction low antigenicity