Q. Is all the cartilage in the body the same?
There are 3 types of cartilage in the human body: 1) hyaline cartilage; 2) elastic cartilage and 3) fibrocartilage. Hyaline cartilage(from Greek hyalos, meaning'glass') is the most common type of cartilage in body. It has a translucent, pearly, blue-white appearance resembling glass. Hyaline cartilage provides stiff though flexible support and decreases friction between bony surfaces. It is found between tips of the ribs and bones of the sternum, at the end of long bones, at the tip of the nose and throughout respiratory passages. Elastic cartilage is similar to hyaline cartilage besides its very flexible and resilient. It is ideal for areas which need repeated bending and stretching. Elastic cartilage forms external flap of the outer ear and is found in the auditory canal and epiglottis. Fibrocartilage is generally found where hyaline cartilage meets a ligament or tendon. It's found in the pads of the knees, between pubic bones of the pelvis and between the spinal vertebrae. It prevents bone-to-bone contact. Cartilage doesn't contain blood vessels. Oxygen, nutrients and cellular wastes diffuse through selectively permeable matrix. Cartilage transplants are successful as foreign proteins in the transplanted cells don't have a way to enter host body's circulation and cause an immune response. Thoughas there are no blood vessels in cartilage, healing process is slower than for other tissues.