Cartilage tissue and Bone lab

Hyaline cartilage
 Hyaline Cartilage
Identification:
• Distinctive lacunae distinguish cartilages from other connective
tissues. Lacunae often are paired.
• Note lack of fibrous appearance, instead an overall glassy
appearance.
• Color varies
Features to Know:
chondrocyte in lacuna
Fibers Present: collagen fibers (the thin, evenly dispersed fibers do not
appear as fibers, but contribute to an overall glassy appearance).
Where Located: articulating ends of long bones, nose, trachea, ends of
ribs.
Functions: structural support; cushions joints
• chondrocytes cells which maintain cartilage                        
lacunae chambers (houses chondrocytes)   
•                          
matrix material which fills space between lacunae

• perichondrium fibrous layer nourishes the cartilage (dense irregular

connective tissue ) 
•
chondroblasts at boundary of perichondrium and cartilage proper
 Elastic cartilage
• Ear: 
Similar to hyaline cartilage,
but elastin is the
predominant fiber, giving
the tissue great elasticity.
• It is prominent in cartilage
which give the external ear
and the eustachian tubes
their structures.
• The Verhoeff stain
specifically stains elastin
blue, making it visible in
this slide as blue fibers
surrounding lacunae.
• Elastic Cartilage
• Identification: Distinctive
large, often paired lacunae
(similar to hyaline cartilage),
but note extensive dark elastic
fibers .
• Features to Know:
chondrocyte in lacuna , elastic
fibers .
• Fibers Present: elastic fibers
(collagen fibers are also present
but not visible).
• Where Located: ear lobe,
epigottis (remember those Es!).
• Function: flexibility.
 Fibrocartilage

• Intervertebral disc
Multiple organized layers
of collagen give this
cartilage strength and
allow it to absorb
shock.
It ties bones together as
in the pubic symphysis,
and intervertebral discs.
It also serves as a shock
absorber as in the
menisci of the knee
 Fibrocartilage

• lacunae

• chondrocytes in
train-like rows
collagenous
fibers, wavy and
parallel  in
arrangement
Bone.
 BONE: GROUND DRY
1. Haversian systems (osteons): run longitudinally

a. inside is the canal: vessels, nerves, etc.

b. surrounding the canal: concentric collagen lamellae
c. lacune: raisin-like spaces occupied by osteocytes
d. canaliculi: interconnect the osteocytes within each Haversian
system

2. Volkmann's canals: run radially

a. not surrounded by lamellae
b. connect Haversian systems to each other
 Compact bone.
• Look at the layers of bone and
osteocytes running around the
Haversian canal.  Focus up and
down and you can see tiny
channels, like spider legs,
extending from oblong lacunae. 
The osteocytes are sitting in the
lacunae and the canals are
canaliculi, which interconnect the
lacunae with the major vessels.
This series of channels allows the
osteocyte to be nourished and
regulated.
• Compact bone, ground, cross section, High Ground sections are thick; In the middle of the
image are three Haversian systems connected by the outline of a Volkmann's canal that was
probably high or low in the plane of section, since it appears to be superimposed on solid
lamellar bone
• Here the little "spider legs" that are canaliculi can be seen
clearly.
 BONE: DECALCIFIED
Dense cortical bone: on outside, lined on both sides with CT (periosteum and
endosteum)

• 2. Periosteum: CT that lines outside of bone

• 3. Endosteum: CT that lines inside of bone.  Here you can find osteoblasts lying
down new bone. 
• 4. Bone marrow: on inside, contains adipocytes and osteoclasts.

• 5. Osteoblasts: food within periosteum and endosteum.  They look like moderately
sized cells with basophilic cytoplasm

• 6. Osteoclasts: occasionally visible on endosteal and periosteal surfaces, and in

resorption cavities. Large, multinucleated cells.

• 7.  Megakaryocytes: very large, within bone marrow, platelet-producing cells with
single, multilobular nuclei.  Easy to confuse with osteoclasts and vice-versa.
 
Compact bone.
Compact bone
• The black arrow indicates a branch
point between an Haversion system
running horizontally and a
Volkmann's canal branching at a
right angle toward the marrow.
White arrows indicate osteoblasts in
a row. Yellow arrows point to some
of the numerous megakaryocytes in
this field.
SPONGY BONE
 Structure of Mature Spongy Bone
• Very similar to adult compact
bone except
o tissue is arranged as
TRABECULAE or SPICULES
o with numerous interconnecting
marrow spaces of various sizes.
• If trabeculae are sufficiently
thick
o will contain osteons.
• Some spicules appear lamellated
 Woven Bone

• Woven bone is the first bone

formed in the embryo, where it
is gradually replaced by
lamellar bone, except in a few
places where woven bone
persists.
• These include the places where
tendons insert into bones and
the tooth sockets.
• In woven bone the bundles of
collagen fibers of the bone
matrix are organized in a
meshwork, similar to dense
irregular connective tissue.
• Woven bone can be identified
microscopically by looking for
lacunae that are not arranged in
parallel rows and by stopping
down the condenser diaphragm
and looking for the absence of
lamellae and a woven pattern of
collagen fibers.
Mature bone Immature (woven bone)
• Immature matrix has
more ground substance
than does mature
• Immature matrix stains
more intensely with
hematoxylin
o mature stains with eosin
• Immature forms faster
than mature
• Immature seen in
alveolar sockets of adult
• makes possible
orthodontic corrections
even in adults