BUTUAN DOCTORS’ COLLEGE

J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City

Abbegail Decatoria
Name: _________________________________________ Remarks: _____________
Course, year and section: __________________________
BSMT 1-B

Laboratory Worksheet No. 5

SUPPORTIVE TISSUES

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the activity, the students shall be able to:
1. Identify and characterize the supportive tissues – bone and cartilage;
2. Distinguish a bone from a cartilage; and
3. Appreciate the importance of the supportive tissues in the organization of the
human body

INTRODUCTION:

The supportive tissue includes the cartilages and bones. They serve as attachment for
muscles and connective tissues. Cartilage is soft and pliable, translucent and vascular forming most
of the temporary skeleton of the embryo, providing a model in which most bones develop and
playing an important role in their growth mechanism. Bones are rigid, hard and brittle and provide
the main support of the body.

A. Power point presentation to describe the supportive tissues – bone and cartilage.

1. Cartilage – sometimes called gristle, is firm, tough and flexible. Cartilage cells, the
chondrocytes are scattered and lodged in spaces termed lacunae. The ground substance is
semi-rigid and contains a protein-carbohydrate complex known as chondromucoid. Cartilage
contains no blood vessel and nerve supply, so that nourishment must reach the cells by
seepage through the matrix from the perichondrium. Fibers may be collagenous or elastic type.
There are three types of cartilage.

1.1. Hyaline cartilage. The matrix is semi-transparent and has opalescent

bluish tint. The cells (chondrocytes) are usually spherical; cytoplasm is highly
vacuolated; with one or more nucleoli. The body of the cartilage cells fills the cavity
(lacuna) which occupies in the interstitial substance. The cells are believed to
elaborate the matrix. The connective tissue envelops that form the outermost
covering of the cartilage is known as the perichondrium. It is through the
perichondrium that the cartilage cells derive its nutrition. This type of cartilage is
composing the nose, trachea, and bronchi.

1.2. Elastic cartilage is more or less similar to the first except that the
intercellular substance is penetrated by elastic fiber in all directions. The fibers form
network which is often dense and are continuous with that of the perichondrium. This
type of cartilage is abundant in the external ear, wall of the Eustachian tube and
epiglottis.

1.3. Fibro-cartilage – the matrix is pervaded with heavy collagenous fibers

forming bundles between which are scattered cartilage cells which lie in rows. Found
at the center of intervertebral disc, forms a strong flexible material connecting
between vertebral bones.

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 2. Bones: Bones are hard, specialized connective tissues with calcified collagenous
intercellular substance. They are highly vascular and provided with blood vessels. The
hardness of the bones is due to the deposition of organic salts primarily calcium phosphate
and their flexibility by the organic constituents. Bones serve as supporting structure of
animals. They are collectively called skeleton. They also serve as storage of calcium, a
leverage of locomotion and for muscle attachment.

In the cross section of bones, the whole area is permeated with bony matrix which is
characteristically divided into small and well defined layers called lamellae. From the external
surface the following lamellae are found:

1. Periosteal lamella is outer circumferential lamellae – forming the

outermost layer, lying parallel to and beneath the periosteum.
2. Concentric lamellae – bone matrix forming rings around the Haversian
canal.
3. Interstitial lamellae – bony matrix between Haversian system.
4. Endosteal lamellae- innermost layer lining parallel and inner to the
endosteum.

The Haversian Canal System (or Osteon). The Haversian canal system is
composed of the Haversian canal and the concentric lamellae. The Haversian canal
is the center of the innermost lamellae. The osteocytes and a system of tiny tubules
called canaliculi. The concentric lamellae are in the form of rings with the largest
enclosing a second smaller and the second enclosing the third. Every tiny-like
substance is called concentric lamellae (4-20 in a system).

In the margin between two consecutive concentric lamellae are tiny spaces
called lacunae and are lodged in the bone cell called osteocytes. The Haversian
canal system is the smallest unit of bone tissue.

Bones are richly supplied with blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic material.
The material passes through the bone marrow canal gradually through the Volkman’s
canal, then to the Haversian canals and finally to the individual osteocytes by way of
the canaliculi.

STUDY QUESTION: Using the space provided for, answer the following questions:
Connective tissues hold structures
1. State and explain the functions of the supportive tissues. ________________________
together, provide a framework and support for organs and the entire body, store fat, transport nutrients,
______________________________________________________________________
guard against illness, and aid in tissue healing. They can be found all over the body.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Research and differentiate bone and cartilage, in a tabulated format, based on –

component mature cells, intercellular substance, arrangement of lacunae and
vascularization.

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 Basis Bone Cartilage
Component mature bone
cells
Intercellular substance
Arrangement of lacunae
Vascularization
Innervation

3. What is ossification? Distinguish the intramembranous from endochondral ossification.

Ossification is the process of bone formation. Inramembranous ossification, bone grows directly from
______________________________________________________________________
sheets of mesenchymal connective tissue. In endochondral ossification the bone forms by replacing
______________________________________________________________________
hyaline cartilage.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. Define or describe the following terms in relation to the supportive tissues.

Fibrous, connective-tissue membrane covering the external surface of
a. perichondrium _____________________________________________________
cartilaginous structures.
_________________________________________________________________

Double-layered connective tissue that covers and nourishes the bone.

b. periosteum ________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

A white amorphous material obtained from cartilage matrix and containing a

c. chondromucoid ____________________________________________________
gelatin-like protein in combination with chondroitin sulfate.
_________________________________________________________________

A hollow or depression in the bone, particularly.

d. lacunae __________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5. Chemically, identify the organic and inorganic composition of the bone tissue. Describe
their functions in the bone tissue.

Chemical Components Function / Use in Bone Tissue

Organic compound

Inorganic compound

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DRAWING:

1. Shown below is the cross section of an osteon. Study and label the following parts:
Haversian canal, chondrocytes inside the lacunae, canaliculi, and interstitial lamellae

Interstitial lamellae
Canaliculi
Haversian canal

Lacunae

2. Shown is an image of a cartilage tissue. Study and label the following parts: osteocyes,
lacunae, and intercellular substance.

Lacunae

Osteocytes

Intercellular substance

3.
a. Identify the type of cartilage shown.
Hyaline cartilage
_________________________________

b. Describe the matrix of this type of

A semitranslucent pearl-gray matrix
cartilage. _________________________
_________________________________
with randomly aligned collagen fibrils but
_________________________________
minimal elastin.

c. What do you call to the mature cartilage

Chondrocytes
cells? ____________________________

d. In what space/s these cells are lodged?

Lacunae
_________________________________

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4.
a. Identify the type of cartilage shown.
Elastic cartilage
__________________________________
b. Name the predominant connective
tissue fibers in the matrix of this type of
cartilage.
Elastin
__________________________________
c. Identify two organs or structures that
composed of this type of cartilage.
Epiglottis
_______________ External ear
and _______________

5.

a. Identify the type of cartilage shown.

_________________________________
Fibro-cartilage

b. Name the predominant connective

tissue fibers composing the matrix.
Type 1 collagen
_________________________________

c. Name one structure where this type is

Center of intervertebral disc
found. ____________________________

END

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