Cartilage & Bone (Exam II) Flashcards
(91 cards)
Cartilage
- Is classified as a specialized connective tissue Is usually avascular
- Provides support & allows rapid growth
- Forms the fetal skeleton
- Persists wherever great resiliency is needed, e.g., articular (joint) surfaces, ear, nasal cartilages, larynx, auditory tube
Organization of Cartilage
Composed of:
- Chondrocytes in lacunae
- Matrix
- Perichondrium (absent in fibrocartilage & articular hyaline cartilage)
Can be distinguished from bone because:
- Growing cartilage has isogenous groups; bone never does.
- An isogenous group is a cluster of closely spaced chondrocytes derived from a single cell by mitosis
- Cartilage lacks the canaliculi that characterize bone
- There are usually “no” blood vessels in cartilage vs. many in compact bone (in Haversian & Volkmannʼs canals)
Perichondrium
- Nutrients diffuse from blood, through perichondrium, into the matrix
- Divided into 2 layers:
- Fibrous layer is outermost - contains fibroblasts, collagen fibers (mainly type I)
- Chondrogenic layer is in contact with cartilage matrix - contains stem cells that can differentiate into chondroblasts - cells are called chondrocytes when completely surrounded by matrix
- Chondrogenic layer is only clearly identifiable by LM when appositional growth is actively occurring (otherwise the chondrogenic cells are flat like fibroblasts)
Cartilage Matrix
- There is the territorial matrix (capsular/pericellular matrix) that immediately surrounds each lacuna. Contains more GAGs. More basophilic/PAS if GAGs have been conserved.
- There is the interterritorial matrix which is the remainder. Contains more collagen.
What does the cartilage matrix contain?
- Collagen (type II in hyaline & elastic cartilage; type I in fibrocartilage).
- GAGs, proteoglycans, and proteoglycan aggregates.
- Smaller adhesive “glycoproteins” such as chondronectin which promotes adherence of chondrocytes to matrix.
- Elastic fibers (in elastic cartilage)
Chondrocytes
- Defining characteristic: Are completely surrounded by matrix
- Round to oval cells that often shrink during fixation
- Produce most components of the matrix
- Receive poor oxygen supply
- Limits the thickness of a cartilage
- Makes cartilage slow to heal if damaged
- Often accumulate lipid droplets in cytoplasm as they age
Interstitial Growth of Cartilage
Defined as addition of new molecules to the matrix by chondrocytes in the interior of the cartilage
Often involves mitosis of chondrocytes to form isogenous groups New matrix is then laid down between cells, which gradually pushes cells of isogenous group further apart
Appositional Growth of Cartilage
Stem cells in chondrogenic layer of perichondrium differentiate and add new matrix to the outer surface of the cartilage
Hyaline Cartilage
- Most common type. Matrix looks homogeneous or glassy (= hyaline) because collagen type II fibrils are so thin they are not visible by LM
- Has a perichondrium (except for articular cartilage)
- May calcify with age
- Adult locations: Articular cartilage Costal cartilages (of ribs) Most laryngeal cartilages Tracheal rings & bronchi (as irregular cartilage plates)
- Other locations: Fetal skeleton Epiphyseal plates
Elastic Cartilage
- More cellular than mature hyaline cartilage
- Less likely to calcify
- Matrix contains:
- Collagen type II
- Elastic fibers visible by LM
- Has a perichondrium
- Found in locations such as (think of the letter E): Auricle (pinna) of the ear Cartilaginous part of external auditory canal Wall of auditory (Eustachian) tubes Epiglottis Corniculate & cuneiform cartilages of larynx
Fibrocartilage
- Interterritorial matrix is highly fibrous
- Contains many thick collagen I fibers visible by LM
- Territorial matrix is more homogeneous
- Contains some type II collagen
- Chondrocytes are often arranged in rows between fibers
- No perichondrium
- Found in: Annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disks Symphysis pubis Some bone-ligament or bone-tendon junctions
How to distinguish between cartilage types in EM:
- The matrix of:
- Fibrocartilage contains bundles of banded collagen type I fibrils
- Elastic cartilage contains elastic fibers
- Hyaline cartilage contains only a fine feltwork of thin collagen type II fibrils
Functions of Bone
- Support and protect fragile tissues and organs (e.g. brain, spinal cord)
- Contain hematopoietic tissue in marrow cavities
- Form system of levers and pulleys with muscles that makes movement possible
- Store calcium
Bone Tissue
- Bone tissue is a specialized connective tissue composed of cells and extracellular matrix:
- Bone cells:
- Osteoprogenitor cells
- Osteoblasts (and bone-lining cells)
- Osteocytes
- Osteoclasts
- Bone matrix, which consists of:
- Organic components (collagen type I, GAGs, proteoglycans, & glycoproteins such as osteonectin, osteocalcin & osteopontin)
- Inorganic components (minerals, mainly calcium salts such as hydroxyapatite)
Bone (as an organ)
- Includes other tissues in addition to bone, such as: - connective tissue (in the periosteum)
- Usually some cartilage (epiphyseal plates &/or articular cartilage)
- Hematopoietic tissue & adipose tissue (in marrow cavity)
- Nerve tissue
- Smooth muscle (in blood vessel walls)
Decalcified Bone
- Most of the inorganic components are removed Organic components (including cells) remain
- Can be embedded, sectioned, & stained with conventional histologic stains such as H&E
- NOTE: Even “decalcified” bone tissue will usually still contain some calcium salts
- Visible by EM as black crystals They help distinguish bone tissue from cartilage by EM
Ground Bone
- Is mechanically ground down to make specimens so thin that they are translucent
- Organic components are lost
- Inorganic components remain
- Usually stained with India ink, which fills empty spaces (canaliculi, lacunae, Haversian canals)
Osteoprogenitor Cells
- Can differentiate into osteoblasts
- Found in two locations:
- Inner (osteogenic) layer of periosteum
- Endosteum
- Difficult to identify because they resemble the fibroblasts of the periosteum and the bone-lining cells of the endosteum
Osteoblasts
- Are uninucleate cells derived from osteoprogenitor cells
- Cuboidal to columnar depending on their level of activity
- Basophilic cytoplasm due to extensive RER Found on any surface of bone (periosteum or endosteum) where matrix is being actively deposited
- May line up side by side so they resemble a simple epithelium
- Communicate with each other & with osteocytes via gap junctions
- Produce the organic components of bone matrix (osteoid)
- Release matrix vesicles into the matrix
- The alkaline phosphatase contained in matrix vesicles is important for mineralization
- On surfaces (periosteal & endosteal) where matrix deposition is not occurring, osteoblasts become squamous cells called bone-lining cells
- Bone lining cells are indistinguishable by ordinary means from inactive osteoprogenitor cells in periosteum or endosteum
Osteocytes
- Uninucleate cells derived from osteoblasts
- When an osteoblast becomes completely surrounded by bone matrix it is called an osteocyte
- Lacuna = the space within bone matrix occupied by an osteocyte
- Canaliculi (“little canals”) = tunnels that run through the matrix & connect neighboring lacunae
- Contain cytoplasmic processes from neighboring osteocytes
- Gap junctions connect the processes
- Osteocytes function to maintain bone matrix
- Probably help maintain blood Ca++ levels by resorbing matrix from a narrow zone surrounding the lacuna, thus releasing Ca++ into the blood (= osteocytic osteolysis)
Osteoclasts
- Large multinucleated cells (2-50 nuclei)
- Derived from uninucleate cells that fuse
- Differentiate from the same bone marrow precursor as monocytes (i.e., not from osteoprogenitor cells)
- Acidophilic cytoplasm due to numerous lysosomes & mitochondria
- Found on any surface of bone (periosteal or endosteal) where bone resorption is occurring
- Function is to resorb bone matrix for modeling or remodeling purposes by secreting: Lysosomal enzymes (e.g., collagenase) to digest organic matrix Acid (HCl) to solubilize inorganic components of bone matrix
- Found near ruffled border = highly invaginated area of plasma membrane where bone resorption is occurring Increases surface area for active transport of ions (e.g. H+) and for endocytosis of matrix degradation fragments
- Clear zone (sealing zone) forms a ring around ruffled membrane and seals plasma membrane tightly to bone Contains abundant actin filaments
- Resorption produces a depression in the bone surface directly under the osteoclast (= a resorption bay or Howship’s lacuna)
Periosteum
- Periosteum covers outer surface of a bone except at the articular surfaces
- Has an outer fibrous layer and an inner osteogenic layer
- Fibrous layer contains collagen fibers & fibroblasts
- Osteogenic layer contains osteoprogenitor cells - can also contain osteoblasts, bone-lining cells & osteoclasts
Sharpey’s Fibers
- Are bundles of collagen fibers that penetrate the periosteum & enter bone matrix at an angle
- They anchor tendons, ligaments, or teeth, as well as the periosteum to the bone
Endosteum
- Endosteum lines most inner surfaces of bone
- It lines Haversian canals, Volkmannʼs canals, & the marrow cavity (including inner surface of compact bone & the outer surface of all trabeculae)
- It DOES NOT line lacunae or canaliculi
- Can include osteoprogenitor cells, osteoblasts, bonelining cells & osteoclasts

































