Biology / Unit 13 Bio 3099 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Cartilage Types
Captions available
The idea
Cartilage, a connective tissue per Bio 2739, takes three forms: hyaline, smooth and flexible at joint surfaces; elastic, recoiling at the outer ear; and fibrocartilage, tough and shock-absorbing between vertebrae.
In practice
Fibrocartilage discs between vertebrae absorb compression that would otherwise transmit directly to bone.
Where people slip
Cartilage lacks its own blood supply, which is why cartilage injuries heal far more slowly than bone fractures.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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