Histology and Embryology

Medical School Of Southeast University

Wu Xiaojing

wuxiaojing0204@hotmail.com
 covering epithelium
epithelial tissue glandular epithelium

connective tissue proper

cartilaginous tissue
connective tissue
bone tissue
blood

skeletal muscle
muscular tissue myocardium
Smooth muscle

central nervous system

nerve tissue peripheral nervous system
 Chapter 3
Cartilage and Bone
Cartilage : cartilige tissue
bone : bone tissue
Three components : cells, fibers, ground
substance

1. Cartilage:
organ = Cartilage tissue + perichondrium
 Cartilage
Cartilage is a specialized form of firm and resilient connective
tissue that can bear stresses without permanent distortion.

It consists of cells (chondroblasts, chondrocytes) and extracelluar

matrix, consisting of fibers and ground substance (hyaluranan,
proteoglycans, glycoproteins).

It is an avascular tissue, no blood vessel.

It serves as a precursor or model for the embryonic

development and subsequent growth of many long bones.
(It is replaced by bone tissue in adult life, except for the surfaces that
articulate with other bones.)
 1)      structure of cartilage tissue
---cell: chondrocytes
---cartilage matrix: type II collagen fiber, GAGS,
proteoglycan ， basophilic
 ①     chondrocyte:
---Structure: LM
 embedded in cartilage
lacuna
 peripheral cells:
--small and immature
--single and flattened
 Differences in basophilic staining in cartilage matrix

Michigan Medical School Histology Slide Collection Source Undetermined

The difference in basophilic staining reflects the relative matrix content of
glycosaminoglycans (aggrecans).

The decrease in size of proteoglycans or the length of chondroitin sulfate chains will
reduce the relative matrix content of glycosaminoglycans This, in turn, will reduce the
intensity of basophilic staining in the cartilage matrix.
central cell:
--large and mature,
--round and in group of 2-8 cells
--small and round nucleus
--basophilic cytoplasm
--EM: rich in RER and Golgi complex
*isogenous group: several
cells locates in one lacuna,
which are derived from a
single (same) parent cell
②     Cartilage matrix
---ground substance:
 proteoglycan:
 --there are more chondroitin sulfate distributed at the
periphery of cartilage lacuna---called as cartilage
capsule (basophilic)
 chondronectin
 Water
 semi-soft ， permeable

---fiber: type and number of fiber depends on the type of

cartilage
 Cartilage
There are three types of cartilage:
 Hyaline cartilage (Type II collagen)
Articular surfaces, Tracheal wall, etc.

 Elastic cartilage (Type II collagen,

elastic fibers)
Pinna of the ear, Epiglottis, Eustachian
tube, etc.

 Fibrocartilage (Type II and Type I

collagen)
Intervertebral disks, Pubic symphysis,
insertion sites of tendons and
ligaments

(Knee) Netter 2nd Ed. Plate 476

(Trachea) Netter 2nd Ed. Plate 190

(Ear) Dbenbenn, wikimedia commons
(Vertebrae) Netter 2nd Ed. Plate 147
透明软骨

弹性软骨

纤维软骨
2) Classification: according to the fiber

a. Hyaline cartilage:
 less collagenous fibril←type II collagen
 articular surface, rib cartilage, trachea and
bronchi
Hyaline cartilage

Most common types of cartilage.

Nasal septum, larynx, tracheal rings,

sternal ends of ribs, most articular
surfaces and forms the template for
developing long bones.
 Tracheal Hyaline Cartilage
Chondroblasts

Netter 2nd Ed. Plate 190

Chondrocytes

Chondroblasts

Perichondrium

Michigan Medical School Histology Slide Collection

 Articular Cartilage
(Specialized form of hyaline cartilage)

Femoral head

Articular cartilages

Netter (Both Images)

Articular (hyaline) Cartilage in Joints

Ed Yourdon, flickr Open Clipart

 Fibrous cartilage:
 large amount of collagenous fiber bundles
 cells are small and less
 intervertebral disc, symphysis pubis
 Elastic Cartilage
H&E stain Weigert’s stain Aldehyde Fuchsin

Michigan Medical School Histology Slide Collection

 Elastic cartilage:
 large amount of elastic fiber
 external ear, epiglottis
 Fibrocartilage
Type I and II collagen. No identifiable perichondrium

Netter

Vertebra

Vertebra

Michigan Medical School Histology Slide Collection

3) perichondrium
two layers:
---out layer: contain more
fiber-protection
---inner layer: more cells-
osteoprogenitor cell (fusiform
in shape)
 4) growth of cartilage
 ---interstitial growth:
 inner chondrocyte proliferation→ produce fiber and
matrix.
 immature cartilage (isogenous group)

 ---appositional growth:
 osteoprogenitor cell→cartilage cell (chondrocyte) →
produce fiber and matrix at the surface .
 growing and mature cartilage
2.Bone
As the main constituent of the adult skeleton, bone tissue provides
solid support for the body, protects vital organs such as those in the
cranial and thoracic cavities, and harbors cavities containing bone
marrow where blood cells are formed. Bone (or osseous) tissue
also serves as a reservoir of calcium, phosphate, and other ions
that can be released or stored in a controlled fashion to maintain
constant concentrations in body fluids.

Bones form a system that multiply the forces generated

during skeletal muscle contraction and transform them into bodily
movements.

This mineralized tissue therefore confers mechanical and metabolic

functions to the skeleton.
 organic component
Bone matrix
inorganic constituent
Bone tissue
Osteoprogenitor cell
Osteoblast
cell
Bone Osteocyte
Osteoclast
Perichondrium: periosteum, endosteum

Bone marrow: red/yellow marrow

Function: Support, Calcium-phosphorus metabolism, Hemopoiesis

 1)      Bone tissue
① Cells:
 osteoprogenitor cell: stem cell
 osteoblast
 osteocyte
 osteoclast
 a. Osteoprogenitor cell:
stem cell
 ---structure:
 fusiform, small
 ovoid nucleus
 slight basophilic cytoplasm
 exist in periosteum and endosteum
 ---function: differentiated into osteoblast and
chondrocyte
appositional growth
b. osteoblast:
---structure:
LM:
 single layer of
cuboidal or low columnar cell
 round nucleus
 basophilic cytoplasm
 located on the surface of bone tissue
 Abundant RER and Golgi complex
 ---function:
 ⅰ.synthesize bone collagen fiber and ground
 substance-osteoid

 ⅱ.release matrix vesicle:

 ALPase (Alkaline phosphatase), ATPase
calcium, crystal of bone salt and calbindin
 function: promote calcification
c. osteocyte
---structure:
 flattened cell with multiple
long thin processes
 located in bone lacuna
and bone canaliculus
 basophilic cytoplasm
 adjacent cells connect in bone
canaliculus by gap junctions
---function:
 Maintain bone matrix
 regulate the balance between calcium and
phosphonium
bone
canaliculus

bone lacuna
d. osteoclast
---structure: LM:
 multinuclear large cell, 30-100um
 6-50 nuclei
 acidophilic cytoplasm
 located at peripheral
part of bone
---function:
 dissolve and absorb bone
matrix,
keep balance between
rebuilding bone and blood
calcium
②Bone matrix
---organic matter:
 bone collagen fiber -collagenous fiber (type I collagen)

 ground substance:
glycosaminoglycan

 glycoproteins:
 osteocalcin: involve in calcification of bone and regulate absorption of bone
 osteonectin: related to adherence between cell and bone matrix, regulate calcification of bone
 osteopontin
---inorganic matter: bone salts
Hydroxyapatite crystal
 50% of the dry weight of bone
 matrix
 Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2
 pin-shaped
 10-20 nm
 longitudinal arranged
*bone lamella: bone matrix arranged in layers at
different direction
Type of the bone tissue:

spongy bone: inner surface of diaphysis

bone tissue
compact bone: outer surface of diaphysis
endosteum

periosteum
inner ： osteoprogenitor
periosteum cell ,osteoclast
blood vessel, nervous
outer ： collagenous fiber
 a. Compact bone （ Lamellar Bone ） :

Inner circumferential lamella

circumferential
lamella
Outer circumferential lamella

Osteon 10—20 concentric circled arranged bone lamella

Compact (Haversian system)
bone
* Central canal Volkman canal

Interstitial lamella : old, irregular bone lamella

An osteon (or Haversian system) refers to the complex
of concentric lamellae surrounding a small central canal
that contains blood vessels, nerves, loose connective
tissue, and endosteum
Between successive lamellae are lacunae, each with one
osteocyte, interconnected by canaliculi containing the cells’
dendritic processes.

Processes of adjacent cells are in contact Via gap junctions,

and all cells of an osteon receive nutrients andoxygen from
the microvasculature in the central canal.
Most bone in adults, compact or cancellous, is organized
as lamellar bone, characterized by multiple layers or
lamellae of calcified matrix, each 3-7 μm thick. The
lamellae are organized either parallel to each other or
concentrically around a central canal.

In each lamella, type I collagen fibers are aligned in parallel,

Like the orientation of wood fibers in plywood, the highly
ordered organization of collagen fibers in lamellae adds
greatly to the strength of lamellar bone.
Highly ordered collagen fibers in a lamella.
* Central canal Volkman canal
Haversian system (osteon):
/cylindric structure, 3-5mm
/central canal: N, BV, CT
/Haversian lamella: 4-20 layers
b. Spongy bone:

epiphyses

diaphysis

Red bone marrow : hemopoiesis

yellow bone marrow: fat