What is cartilage composed of?

What is cartilage composed of?

What is cartilage made of? Cartilage a strong and smooth substance made up of “chondrocytes,” or specialized cartilage cells, that produce a matrix of collagen, proteoglycans (a special type of protein) and other non-collagenous proteins.

Are there cells in cartilage?

Cartilage is a non-vascular type of supporting connective tissue that is found throughout the body . The main cell types in cartilage are chondrocytes, the ground substance is chondroitin sulfate, and the fibrous sheath is called perichondrium.

Does cartilage have nucleus?

Cartilage tissue does not have nerves or blood vessels. Instead, it has a simple structure that is mainly made up of groups of cells called chondrocytes embedded in an intracellular matrix. The protoplasm (inside content of the cell) is clear, and the cells have one or two nuclei.

What parts of cartilage are only?

Typically, cartilage is used in passageways into the body that are kept permanently open. These include the nose, the outer ear and the tubes of the lungs, known as the bronchioles. The nose forms the outer part of the respiratory tract.

Do cartilage have nerves?

Cartilage does not contain nerves; it is aneural. [6] If any pain is associated with a pathology involving cartilage, it is most commonly due to irritation of surrounding structures, such as inflammation of the joint and bone in osteoarthritis.

What are the characteristics of cartilage?

Cartilage is thin, avascular, flexible and resistant to compressive forces. Bone is highly vascularised, and its calcified matrix makes it very strong. This topic covers the structure and function of bone and cartilage, the type of cells found in these tissues, and how bone and cartilage are formed.

Is cartilage soft tissue?

Cartilage is an important structural component of the body. It is a firm tissue but is softer and much more flexible than bone. Cartilage is a connective tissue found in many areas of the body including: Joints between bones e.g. the elbows, knees and ankles.

What are cells of cartilage called?

Cells: Chondrocytes and the precusor forms of chondrocytes known as chondroblasts are the only cells found in cartilage. Chondrocytes make up “cell nests,” groups of chondrocytes within lacunae.

What is cartilage and its function?

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue that keeps joint motion fluid by coating the surfaces of the bones in our joints and by cushioning bones against impact. Elastic cartilage functions to provide support and maintain the shape of flexible body parts like our ears and larynx.

Which of the following is a characteristic of cartilage?

Cartilage is a tough, semitransparent, elastic, flexible connective tissue consisting of cartilage cells scattered through a glycoprotein material that is strengthened by collagen fibers.

How does cartilage turn to bone?

Over time, most of this cartilage turns into bone, in a process called ossification. Growth occurs when cartilage cells divide and increase in number in these growth plates. These new cartilage cells push older, larger cartilage cells towards the middle of a bone.

What is cartilage cells?

Cartilage is made up of specialized cells called chondrocytes. These chondrocytes produce large amounts of extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibres, proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Due to the lack of blood vessels, cartilage grows and repairs more slowly than other tissues.

How is cartilage different from other connective tissues?

Compared to other connective tissues, cartilage has a very slow turnover of its extracellular matrix and does not repair. There are three different types of cartilage: elastic (A), hyaline (B), and fibrous (C). In elastic cartilage the cells are closer together creating less intercellular space.

Which is the most abundant type of cartilage in the body?

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in multiple areas of the body, including joints, the ear and nose, and intervertebral discs. Hyaline cartilage, the most abundant type of cartilage, plays a supportive role and assists in movement.

What makes up the extracellular matrix of cartilage?

Cartilage: Hyaline cartilage showing chondrocytes and organelles, lacunae and matrix. The extracellular matrix consists of ground substance (proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans) and associated fibers, such as collagen.

Can a tumor be made up of cartilage?

Tumors made up of cartilage tissue can also occur, but can be either benign or malignant in nature. While these tumors usually appear in bone, and rarely in pre-existing cartilage, they can invade cartilage. Benign tumors are called chondromas, and the malignant tumors are called chondrosarcomas.