1
Q
How are metabolic processes maintained in cartilage?
A
Avascular so nutrition comes from simple diffusion from passing blood vessels
2
Q
Name the 3 types of cartilage
A
- Hyaline
- Elastic
- Fibro-cartilage
3
Q
What are the features of hyaline cartilage?
A
- abundant ground substance
- some Type 2 collagen fibres
- glossy appearance
- forms temporary skeleton in embryo
- responsible for growth of long bones
- found mainly on articular surfaces of joints in adults
4
Q
What are the features of elastic cartilage?
A
- flexible
- contains elastic fibres and Type 2 collagen
- found in ear pinna and epiglottis
- consists of perichondrium, chondroblasts, chondrocytes and lacunae
5
Q
What are the features of fibro-cartilage?
A
- intermediate between dense regular CT and hyaline cartilage
- large collagen Type 1 fibres
- function is stress/weight bearing
- limited distribution - intervertebral discs, intra-articular discs, attachment of ligament to bone
- chondrocytes arranged in columns between bundles of collagen
- minimal ground substance
- interstitial growth
6
Q
What are the 2 ways by which cartilage can grow?
A
- Interstitial growth - occurs from within the cartilage. Chondroblasts form isogenous groups which deposit more cartilage
- Appositional growth - formation and deposition onto a surface/edge of pre-existing cartilage on the perichondrium. Chondroblasts arise from fibroblasts in surrounding general CT and produce cartialge ECM
