cartilage
Sign in to saveCartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck and the bronchial tubes, and the intervertebral discs. In other taxa, such as chondrichthyans and cyclostomes, it constitutes a much greater proportion of the skeleton. It is not as hard and rigid as bone, but it is much stiffer and much less flexi
AI overview
Cartilage is a smooth, resilient connective tissue that covers the ends of bones at joints and forms structural parts of your body like your rib cage, neck, and spine. It's stiffer than soft tissue but more flexible than bone, making it ideal for protecting joints and supporting body structures.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Cartilage
- Anatomy.Image
- Hypertrophic Zone of Epiphyseal Plate.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Light micrograph of undecalcified hyaline cartilage showing chondrocytes and organelles, lacunae and matrix.
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Development
- Articular cartilage
- Function
- Mechanical properties
- Tendon-bone interface
- Frictional properties
- Repair
- Clinical significance
- Disease
- Imaging
- Other animals
- Cartilaginous fish
- Invertebrate cartilage
- Arthropods
- Mollusks
- Sabellid polychaetes
- Plants and fungi
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck and the bronchial tubes, and the intervertebral discs. In other taxa, such as chondrichthyans and cyclostomes, it constitutes a much greater proportion of the skeleton. It is not as hard and rigid as bone, but it is much stiffer and much less flexible than muscle or tendon. The matrix of cartilage is made up of glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, collagen fibers and, sometimes, elastin. It usually grows quicker than bone.
Because of its rigidity, cartilage often serves the purpose of holding tubes open in the body. Examples include the rings of the trachea, such as the cricoid cartilage and carina.