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What is Cartilage?

Cartilage Definition Biology  - Cartilage is the connective tissue that forms the skeleton of the mammalian embryos before the formation of the bone begins. And persisting in the part of the human skeleton in adulthood. It is the only component of the skeleton found in some of the certain primitive vertrbrates, including sharks and lampreys. Cartilage is made of a dense network of collagen fibres embedded in a firm gelatinous ground substance having the consistency of plastic. The structure of the tissue gives tensile strength and it also enables the cartilage to bear weight while retaining greater flexibility than bone.


Mention the Types of Cartilage Tissue and Give the Functions of Cartilage

Elastic Cartilage - 

Its main function is to provide support and maintain the shape of flexible body parts like the ear and larynx.

 

Hyaline Cartilage - 

It is one of the most abundant types of cartilage found in the human body. This cartilage is smooth, transparent and glassy and it coats at the ends of the body surface, to reduce the friction in the joints. This type of cartilage is more commonly known as articular cartilage. 


Fibrocartilage - 

This type of cartilage is flexible, tough and provides cushioning in the joints. For example, the knee joint is made of half-moon-shaped fibrocartilage. And also our hip and the shoulder joints have ring-shaped labrum that provides cushioning. Fibrocartilage will absorb one-third of the joint impact load but it is not as smooth as hyaline cartilage that coats the bones themselves. 

Cartilage Cells

The important cell in the cartilage cell is chondrocytes. The ground substances of the cartilage are chondroitin sulfate, and the fibrous sheath is called perichondrium. Cartilage cells receive nutrition by diffusion through the gel.

 

Where is Cartilage found? 

It is a type of connective tissue found in the human body. At the time of development embryo cartilage is a precursor to bone cartilage. Some of the cartilage remains while the other gets dispersed throughout the body, especially to cover the joints and cartilage also composes most of the outer ear.


Role of Cartilage in Human 

The important role of the cartilage in the human body is to form a model for the later growth of a scaly skeleton. Some of the parts of the skull like the clavicle and collarbone are performed in the cartilage. In the embryo, cartilage hardens by deposition and then chondrocytes are replaced by bone cells or osteocytes. A thin plate of cartilage, called the epiphyseal plate, remains at the end of growing bones after birth, and finally, cartilage hardens itself once the bone behind it has completed its growth.  chondrocytes continue to grow and divide at the growing edge of the plate. And at the trailing edge they are replaced by osteocytes as new bone is laid down, in the bone cartilage, cartilage remains of a constant thickness while the bone grows behind it. Once the plate gets disappeared, then further no longitudinal bone growth is possible.

 

Do You know? 

What is the composition of cartilage in the human body? After going through what is cartilage? We understood cartilage is tough but flexible tissue, which contains around 65 - 80 per cent of water. Although the quantity of water decreases in the older people and the rest of the percentage contains the gel-like substance known as matrix, it gives its form and function.


How to learn the Concept of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs?

It can be a little difficult to learn the concept of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs in the beginning. As an important concept of biology, the Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs require a lot of your time and attention. However, Vedantu makes it all easy for you. You can use the study materials available at Vedantu that will assist you in the learning process and make you more efficient. We provide detailed explanations of all the topics covered in Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs. We have made all these study resources available for free for all the students around the globe.

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  • Learn the meaning of cartilage and why is it important for the human body. If you understand its meaning and importance, it will be easier to understand the entire concept. 

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Importance of learning the Concept of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs

The concept of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs is quite important to learn for all biology students. With this topic, you can learn more about the functioning of the human body. Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs will teach you the role of cartilage in our body and why is it important. By learning this concept, you will get to know more about joints and bones as well. Moreover, the Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQ is one of the crucial concepts of the biology syllabus that carries a good portion of the marking distribution. So, if you go through the Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs thoroughly, you can improve your chances of scoring the highest marks in your class. To start learning, you can use Vedantu’s e-learning platform and gain more knowledge about this concept.

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FAQs on Cartilage

1. Can Cartilage rebuild in Your Knee?

Actually, the damaged cartilage does not heal on its own, to overcome this problem doctors have developed several surgical techniques. These techniques will attempt to repair, regenerate and replace cartilage and this surgery can be performed on any joint, but commonly they are performed on the knee. 

2. Which are the Surgical Techniques developed by the Doctor to Repair Knee Cartilage?

The surgical techniques developed by the doctor to repair the knee cartilage are Knee cartilage repair, knee debridement, knee cartilage regeneration (knee microfracture, knee drilling, knee abrasion arthroplasty), Knee cartilage replacement, osteochondral allograft transplantation, stem cell and PRO therapy.

3. Where is Cartilage Present?

Cartilage is the rubber-like padding that covers and protects the bone. Some of the places cartilage present in body is joints between the bones like the elbow, knees and ankles, the end of the ribs and also between the spines of the vertebrae. 

4. How can I get access to the notes on cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs?

You can get access to the notes of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs from Vedantu’s website. Vedantu offers a wide range of study materials that will help you understand the concept of Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs more clearly. For a more convenient and user-friendly experience, you can use our mobile application to start studying. Apart from the Cartilage- Definition, Types, Structure, Role and FAQs, we provide you with detailed explanations on all the important topics of biology, maths, physics, chemistry, and all the other subjects.

5. What are the functions of Cartilage? 

The cartilage performs different functions in the human body. These functions are mentioned below: 

  • The cartilage keeps the joints from rubbing against each other. 

  • Cartilage provides structure and protects our organs. 

  • The cartilage helps in keeping the bones from rubbing together and protects our spinal cord. 

  • The cartilage aids in the cushioning of the skeletal system and even holds all the joints together. 

  • The cartilage is an elastic framework, which allows our bones to adjust their positions.