what is cartilage?

Cartilage is a stiff yet flexible connective tissue. It is not as hard and rigid as bone but is stiffer and less flexible than a muscle. Cartilage is and elastic tissue that covers the end of the bones at a joint.

Cartilage acts as a cushion or sponge and absorbs shock at the joints.
It is present at joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs.
  

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs. It is not as hard and rigid asbone but is stiffer and less flexible than muscle.

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs. It is not as hard and rigid asbone but is stiffer and less flexible than muscle.

Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called chondroblasts that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibers, abundant ground substancerich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Cartilage is classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, which differ in the relative amounts of these three main components. Chondroblasts that get caught in the matrix are called chondrocytes. They lie in spaces called lacunae with up to eight chondrocytes per lacuna.

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs. It is not as hard and rigid asbone but is stiffer and less flexible than muscle.

Cartilage is composed of specialized cells called chondroblasts that produce a large amount of extracellular matrix composed of collagen fibers, abundant ground substancerich in proteoglycan, and elastin fibers. Cartilage is classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage, which differ in the relative amounts of these three main components. Chondroblasts that get caught in the matrix are called chondrocytes. They lie in spaces called lacunae with up to eight chondrocytes per lacuna.