Question

One of the following is a location of most abundant cartilage in the human body
A. Tracheal rings and costal cartilages
B. Invertebrata disc and pubic symphysis
C. Pinna and tip of nose
D. Pectoral girdle and pelvic girdle.

Answer 1

Hint: Cartilage is the solid and semi-rigid and flexible connective tissue It is also non-vascular connective tissue, that consists of cells fixed in a flexible matrix of chondrin, i.e. protein of cartilage.

Complete step by step answer:
In order to solve this question, we need to know about the types of cartilage.
There are four types of cartilage found in human:
-Hyaline cartilage: It is the most abundant cartilage that appears glass-like, bluish in colour. It contains a few collagen fibres. Hyaline cartilage found in trachea, larynx and bronchi, limb bones also called a hyaline cap, sternum, in the hyoid apparatus nasal septum, ribs (costal cartilage), larynx (cricoid, thyroid) and nasal cartilage.
-Fibrocartilage: Fibrocartilage is the toughest and less flexible in which a small matrix of cartilage is packed with a large number of bundles of thick white(collagen) fibres. Fibrocartilage is found in intervertebral discs and acts as a shock absorber and also in pubic symphysis and helps in parturition (childbirth).
-Elastic cartilage: Elastic cartilage owns yellow fibres which are very flexible. The matrix is packed in yellow or elastic fibres which run in all directions to form a network. Elastic cartilage found in the mammalian pinna, epiglottis, some laryngeal and bronchiolar cartilages, a tip of the nose.
-Calcified cartilage: Calcified cartilage is modified hyaline cartilage. It is hard and non-elastic due to deposition of calcium salt – hydroxyapatite in the matrix. It is found in the supra-scapula of frogs and ends of the long head of humerus and femur.
The most abundant cartilage is the hyaline cartilage. So, the correct answer is option A, tracheal rings and costal cartilages.

Note: The chondroblasts are the cartilage producing cells while chondroblasts are the cartilage destructing cells.The pubic symphysis is the cartilaginous joint present between the pubis bones of pelvic girdle.