CARTILAGE TISSUE-1 14.12.

2020
Cartilage is a tough and durable form of the supporting connective tissue.It is characterised by an high
concentration of glycosaminoglycans and proteo glycans just interacting with collagen and elastic fibers.

Cartilage distributed in many areas of the body and display different functions.Extracellular matrix of the catilage has firm
consistency that allows the tissue bear mechanical stress without any permanent disportion. Best example of this is joined
cartilage with it’s resiliency and lubricated, smooth surface provides flexibility and sliding movements. We see cartilage in
respiratory tract ,nose, ears ,ribs vertebrae,pelvis.

Physical properties of cartilage depends on the bone between,type ll collagen fibers and hyaluronan and sulphated
glycosaminoglycans on densely packed proteoglycans.It’s semi rigid consistency is due to waters binding to hyaluranon and
glycosaminoglycan chains just extending from protein core proteins.These binds to type ll collagen from outside with building
a dense meshwork with high amonuts of water bound to these structure gives it’s shock absorber structure.

Cartilage consist cells called chondrocytes. These cells embedded in the extracellular matrix.Unlike other connective tissues
carilage does not contain any other cell type.Chondrocytes synthesize and maintain all extracellular matrix components.
Chondrocytes located at matrix cavities called lacuna. It resembles fibroblast from functional aspect. During histological
preparations some chondrocyes can pop out of their lacuna and also chondrocytes and matrix may shrink because of their rich
water content. Thus leaves gaps between lacunas and chondrocytes.

All cartilage lack vessels and nerves because of this chondrocytes receive nutrients by diffusion from capillaries located in the
surrounding connective tissue. We call this connective tissue perichondrium. Chondrocytes exhibit low metabolic activity
because they lack vessels.

Perichondrium is a sheat of dense connective tissue that surrounds cartilage tissue in most places and it forms an interface
between cartilage and the tissues that supported by cartilage.Perichondrium harbors the blood supply and small
neurocomponents.

If a cartilage contributes to movable joint we call it articular cartilage.In articular cartilage there is no perichondrium.These
cartilages supplyed by synovial fluid. After puberty as time passes the cartilage disappears we call this artritic
degeneration.Except articular cartilage hyaline cartilage generally has perichondrium.

There are 3 types of cartilage: hyaline fibrous and elastic.

Calcification yes endrochondral bone f. ,aging no yes callus during bone repair

Word hyaline means glassy because of it’s semi transparent look also it is the most common between types.Located on
articular surfaces of synovial joints , resperatory tract (nose, larynx, thrachea, bronchi) , inferior part of ribs and epyphisial
parts of the long bones. Hyaline makes longitudinal growh possible.Water makes 60 to 80 percent of weight, 3 to 5 percent
chondrocytes,15 percent collagen and most of them is type ll with some exceptions.We observe type ll in hyaline but we can
also see type l collagen in some cartilages or bone tissue.

The proteoglycan make matrix more basophilic.There are different pattern in same tissue.Territorial and intraterritorial
matrixes.The area that surround chondrocytes are called territorial matrix which is pale in color.Between territorial matrixes
are intraterritoral matrixes exist which have darker color because of richer glycosaminoglycan and collagens.

At periphery of cartilage there are young chondrocytes or chondroblasts.They are in eliptical shape with the long axis
parallel to surface. In center they are round and may appear as groups of cell up to 8 cells. This structures are called
isogenous group.These oriniginate from one cell later on with need of more supply they divide and the aggregated cells are
pushed apart and occupy separate lacuna.
 Perichondrium is essential for growh and maintenance of cartilage. It has 2 different regions.The outer one called fibrous
layer , it mostly contains type l collagen and fibroblast. Inner one called chondrogenic layer and it contains mesenchymal
stem cells which able to transform chondroblast. These will provide a source for new chondroblast and they divide and
differentiate into mature chondrocytes.

Another type of cartilage is elastic cartilage. It is similar to hyaline cartilage they resemble each other in light
microscobe.Elastic cartilage fonud in auricle of the ear,walls of external auditory canals, auditory tubes, epiglottis, upper
respiratory tract.

Addition to the meshwork of type ll fibers it also contains abundant network of elastic fibers. These elastic fibers give a
yellowish color to fresh cartilage but with the stains specific to the demostrated elastic fibers, they usually appear as dark
stained bundles distributed irregularly throughout the matrix.

Type ll collagen- elastic and hyaline cartilage Type l collagen- Perichondrium (fibrous layer contains fibroblast which
produce this) a type of dense connective tissue Elastic fibers- Elastic cartilage(major difference between hyaline)

Elastic cartilage is more flexible also includes perichondrium like hyaline’s one.

Fibrocartilage Found in IV discs , attachments of certaion ligaments, pubic symphysis. It is rare.Despite being too tough
serves as a cushine supportive tissue for bone.It is like mixture of hyaline and dense connective tissue because it contains
both type l and ll collagens which found in those 2 tissues. It’s matrix look rough not smooth like hyaline and fibrous.

In fibrocartilage areas of chondrocytes and hyaline matrix with type ll collagen are seperated by other regions of dense
connective tissue just containing fibroblast and type l collagen fibers.Chondrocytes of fibrocartilage exist in single or often
line of isogenous aggregates wildly scattered in the matrix.Cellular component is much less when compared to the other
types of cartilage. They may found isolated cells or elongated isogenous groups. These organisation of connective tissue give
an extratensile stregth to fibrocartilage also fibrocartilage doesn’t contain perichondrium so it only relies on interstitial
growth.

IV discs acts as lubricated cushine and shock absorber for shock targeted the vertebrae.It is made of nucleus
pulposes(fibrocartilage) surrounded by annulus fibrosis.Nucleus pullosus made of mucous connective tissue and mocous
connective tissue is observed during intrauterine life also in umbilical cord. Howewer in adults we observe mucous
connective tissue in 2 places. 1 is nucleus pullosus and 2. Is pulp of dent also they decrease with age.

Muhammet Fatih Cantepe