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Connective and supportive tissues (textus connectivus) 79

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Collagen fibre bundle

Chondrocytes

Interterritorial matrix

3.28 Meniscus (pig). Fibrocartilage contains bundles of collagen fibres that are visible under the light micro-
scope. The chondrocytes are arranged parallel to the direction of the collagen fibres. The ground substance is
sparse and homogeneous. Haematoxylin and eosin stain (x300).

3.29 Fine structure of a chondrocyte with ground substance and type II collagen fibrils (x5000).

Elastic cartilage (cartilago elastica) Elastic cartilage is found in the pinna, parts of the exter-
The ground substance of elastic cartilage incorporates nal acoustic canal and in the epiglottis.
a strongly branching network of elastic fibres (Figures
3.25 and 3.27), allowing this tissue to adapt to varying Fibrocartilage (cartilago fibrosa)
types of bending forces. The elastic fibres, which impart Fibrocartilage develops from dense connective tissue that
a pale yellow colour to this type of cartilage, can be is subjected to pressure as well as a certain degree of ten-
demonstrated with orcein and resorcin stain. Elastic car- sion. As such, it can be regarded simply as dense connective
tilage is stabilised by collagen fibres that, as in hyaline tissue that has undergone chondrification. The cartilagi-
cartilage, are hidden by the proteoglycans in the matrix. nous nature of the tissue is indicated by the presence of
The chondrons are small and regularly arranged, with a matrix rich in glycosaminoglycans. However, the matrix
spherical to ovoid chondrocytes. In contrast to hyaline is so poorly developed that it incompletely masks the col-

cartilage, age-related ossification does not occur in elastic lagen fibres within it. The fibre bundles are visible under
cartilage. light microscopy, aligned in the direction of greatest ten-

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