Library · Histology
Cartilage histology
Make it clearer
A section of cartilage is easy to spot at a glance: cells each tucked into a separate hollow, set in a fairly uniform mass. Those cells are the chondrocytes and those hollows are the lacunae. The particular look of the mass around them comes from polysaccharides called chondroitin sulfates, complex sugars that bind to the proteins of the ground substance, the filler of the tissue, and form assemblies called proteoglycans.
Chondrocytes fill their oblong lacunae uniformly and work as collagen factories, collagen being the protein that supports the tissue. Sometimes they are not alone: they show up in isogenous groups, small clusters of neighboring cells numbering up to eight. Isogenous means of the same origin, and that is exactly what they are: one chondrocyte divided by mitosis, the routine split of one cell into two, and its descendants stayed together in the same spot.
The types of cartilage can also be told apart on the section. In hyaline cartilage the sample looks clear and the surface smooth. Fibrocartilage looks different because its matrix is crossed by thick bundles of collagen.
In brief
Under the microscope, cartilage is recognized by its chondrocytes housed in lacunae; its distinctive appearance comes from chondroitin sulfates, which bind to proteins of the ground substance to form proteoglycans.
Chondrocytes fill those oblong spaces uniformly, act as collagen factories, and may appear in isogenous groups of up to eight cells formed by mitotic division.
The types can be told apart on a section: hyaline samples look clear and the surface is smooth, while fibrocartilage has thick collagen bundles running through its matrix.
Sources (2)
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityAnatomy and Physiology 2e, 4.3 Connective Tissue Supports and ProtectsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationHistology, Chondrocytes. StatPearls
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated