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Questions and Answers
What is the principal collagen type found in hyaline cartilage?
What is the principal collagen type found in hyaline cartilage?
Which type of cartilage contains a dense network of coarse type collagen fibers?
Which type of cartilage contains a dense network of coarse type collagen fibers?
Where is hyaline cartilage NOT found in adults?
Where is hyaline cartilage NOT found in adults?
What characterizes the matrix of hyaline cartilage?
What characterizes the matrix of hyaline cartilage?
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What role does the perichondrium play for cartilage?
What role does the perichondrium play for cartilage?
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Which of the following best describes elastic cartilage?
Which of the following best describes elastic cartilage?
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In which location would you expect to find fibrocartilage?
In which location would you expect to find fibrocartilage?
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What provides the primary mode of nutrient delivery to articular cartilage?
What provides the primary mode of nutrient delivery to articular cartilage?
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What is the function of proteoglycan aggregates in articular cartilage?
What is the function of proteoglycan aggregates in articular cartilage?
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Which type of cartilage is found at the articular surfaces of diarthroses?
Which type of cartilage is found at the articular surfaces of diarthroses?
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How do collagen fibers in articular cartilage arrange themselves?
How do collagen fibers in articular cartilage arrange themselves?
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What role does water play in the cartilage matrix when pressure is applied?
What role does water play in the cartilage matrix when pressure is applied?
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What type of cells are primarily involved in the maintenance of the cartilage matrix?
What type of cells are primarily involved in the maintenance of the cartilage matrix?
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Which component is NOT a principal macromolecule present in all types of cartilage matrix?
Which component is NOT a principal macromolecule present in all types of cartilage matrix?
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In which type of cartilage would you most likely find higher concentrations of GAGs and proteoglycans?
In which type of cartilage would you most likely find higher concentrations of GAGs and proteoglycans?
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What is the role of cartilage in relation to long bones?
What is the role of cartilage in relation to long bones?
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Which of the following locations is elastic cartilage found in?
Which of the following locations is elastic cartilage found in?
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What component forms the scaffold for elastic fibers in elastic cartilage?
What component forms the scaffold for elastic fibers in elastic cartilage?
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How does the composition of fibrocartilage differ from that of elastic cartilage?
How does the composition of fibrocartilage differ from that of elastic cartilage?
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What gives elastic cartilage its characteristic flexibility?
What gives elastic cartilage its characteristic flexibility?
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Which of the following statements about fibrocartilage is true?
Which of the following statements about fibrocartilage is true?
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What type of staining is used to identify elastic fibers in cartilage?
What type of staining is used to identify elastic fibers in cartilage?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of the matrix in fibrocartilage?
Which of the following is a characteristic of the matrix in fibrocartilage?
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Which structure surrounds the elastic cartilage similar to that of hyaline cartilage?
Which structure surrounds the elastic cartilage similar to that of hyaline cartilage?
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What is the main metabolic process through which hyaline cartilage cells metabolize glucose?
What is the main metabolic process through which hyaline cartilage cells metabolize glucose?
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Which hormone is identified as a major regulator of hyaline cartilage growth?
Which hormone is identified as a major regulator of hyaline cartilage growth?
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What layer surrounds most hyaline cartilage tissues, aiding in their growth and maintenance?
What layer surrounds most hyaline cartilage tissues, aiding in their growth and maintenance?
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What is a characteristic feature of the chondrocytes in hyaline cartilage?
What is a characteristic feature of the chondrocytes in hyaline cartilage?
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What type of fibers primarily compose the perichondrium?
What type of fibers primarily compose the perichondrium?
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Which of the following statements about elastic cartilage is true?
Which of the following statements about elastic cartilage is true?
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What happens to chondrocytes as they differentiate from progenitor cells in the perichondrium?
What happens to chondrocytes as they differentiate from progenitor cells in the perichondrium?
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Which staining techniques are typically required to demonstrate the elastic fibers in elastic cartilage?
Which staining techniques are typically required to demonstrate the elastic fibers in elastic cartilage?
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What type of cells are primarily found in the synovial layer mentioned in the content?
What type of cells are primarily found in the synovial layer mentioned in the content?
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What characteristic distinguishes blood capillaries in the synovial fluid from typical capillaries?
What characteristic distinguishes blood capillaries in the synovial fluid from typical capillaries?
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What shape is typically associated with fibroblasts based on their morphology?
What shape is typically associated with fibroblasts based on their morphology?
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How do type I collagen molecules self-assemble according to the content?
How do type I collagen molecules self-assemble according to the content?
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Which feature is observed in the electron micrographs of collagen fibrils?
Which feature is observed in the electron micrographs of collagen fibrils?
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What primarily fills the extracellular matrix (ECM) in dense regular connective tissue?
What primarily fills the extracellular matrix (ECM) in dense regular connective tissue?
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What visual characteristic is associated with fibrocytes in tendon tissue?
What visual characteristic is associated with fibrocytes in tendon tissue?
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What happens after the assembly of type I collagen fibrils?
What happens after the assembly of type I collagen fibrils?
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Study Notes
Synovial Membrane
- Synovial membrane consists of fibroblast-like and macrophage-like cells
- Synovial membrane does not have a basement membrane or junctional complexes, despite resembling epithelium
- Synovial membrane blood capillaries are fenestrated, allowing exchange of materials between the blood and synovial fluid
Tendons and Ligaments
- Dense regular connective tissue
- Tendons contain long, parallel bundles of collagen fibers, separating elongated nuclei of fibrocytes
- Thin cytoplasm of fibrocytes is divided into numerous processes extending between adjacent collagen fibers
Fibroblasts
- Have large, active nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm
- Cytoplasm tapers off in both directions along the axis of the nucleus
- Nuclei are clearly visible, but the eosinophilic cytoplasmic processes resemble collagen bundles in H&E-stained sections
Assembly of Type I Collagen
- Rod-like triple-helix collagen molecules (300 nm long) self-assemble in a highly organized lengthwise arrangement with overlapping regions
- Collagen fibrils are assembled by the regular overlapping arrangement of subunits
- Fibrils have characteristic cross striations (alternating dark and light bands) when observed in the EM
- Fibrils assemble into larger collagen fibers visible by light microscopy
- Fibers often form into even larger bundles and linked together by other collagens
Articular Cartilage
- Collagen fibers run perpendicular to the tissue surface and then bend gradually to form a broad arch parallel to the surface
- Proteoglycan aggregates bound to hyaluronic acid and collagen fill the space among collagen fibers, binding large amounts of water
- Acts as a biomechanical spring in articular cartilage
- When pressure is applied, water is forced out of the cartilage matrix into the synovial fluid
- When pressure is released, water is attracted back into the interstices of the matrix, facilitating nutrient exchange and waste removal
Hyaline Cartilage
- Found in articular surfaces of movable joints, walls of large respiratory passages (nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi), ribs and sternum, and epiphyseal plates of long bones
- The dry weight of hyaline cartilage is 40% collagen embedded in a firm, hydrated gel of proteoglycans and structural glycoproteins
- Most of the collagen is type II, though minor types are present
- Aggrecan (250 kD) is the most abundant proteoglycan, with 150 GAG side chains of chondroitin sulfate and karatan sulfate
- Cartilage cells and matrix often shrink during preparation, resulting in irregular shapes and retracted chondrocytes from the matrix.
- Chondrocytes respire under low-oxygen tension
- Glucose is metabolized by anaerobic glycolysis
Perichondrium
- Dense connective tissue covering hyaline cartilage
- Contains collagen type I and fibroblasts
- Inner layer contains progenitor cells for chondroblasts, which divide to differentiate into chondrocytes
### Elastic Cartilage
- Possesses a network of elastic fibers in addition to collagen type II, giving it a yellowish color in the fresh state
- Found in the auricle of the ear, walls of external auditory canals, auditory tubes, epiglottis, and cuneiform cartilage.
- Elastic fibers are usually demonstrated with orcein or resorcin fuchsin staining
- Perichondrium is similar to that found in hyaline cartilage
Fibrocartilage
- A combination of hyaline cartilage and dense connective tissue, with gradual transitions between the tissues
- Found in intervertebral discs, attachments of certain ligaments, and the pubic symphysis
- Chondrocytes produce a matrix containing type II collagen
- Fibrocartilage often contains a sparse matrix around chondrocytes
- Regions with chondrocytes and hyaline matrix are separated by type I collagen bundles and scattered fibroblasts
- Proteoglycans are less abundant in the matrix, making it more acidophilic than hyaline or elastic cartilage.
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Description
This quiz covers key aspects of the synovial membrane, tendons, ligaments, and fibroblasts. Learn about their cellular composition, structural characteristics, and the unique properties of type I collagen assembly. Test your understanding of connective tissue in this focused assessment.
