Specialized connective tissue

3 kinds

cartilage ( based on type of fiber in matrix hyaline elastic fibrocartilage 

 Bone 

 blood

Cartilage = gristle

more rigid than dense connective tissue (more flexible than bone)

 no innervation; avascular ( no pain , slow to heal) 

cells = chondrocytes 

 matrix (ground substance, tissue fluid, collagen, & elastic fibers)

  locations ( joints, ear, nose, vocal cords, framework for bone formation)

hyaline Cartilage

most common cartilage

 most rigid cartilage (composed of closely packed collagen fibers and enclosed within a perichondrium provides nutrition (vascular)
locations (most of embryonic skeleton, tracheal rings, articular cartilage, growth plates of long bones

Elastic cartilage

contains many elastic fibers in dense, branching bundles 

 flexible (withstands repeated bending 

 locations ( epiglottis of larynx, external ears of animals)

Fibrocartilage

usually found merged with hyaline cartilage and dense connective tissue ( contains thick bundles of hyaline cartilage, no perichondrium 

 designed to take compression 

 locations ( between vertebrae of spine, between bones in pelvis , knee joint)

Bone

osseous connective tissue 

 hardest and most rigid connective tissue 

 well vascularized 

 central haversian canal ( blood and nerves live here 

 canaliculi (allow communication with the osteocytes to assist in remodel when necc

blood

matrix ( ground substance = plasma,  fibrous component = protein)

 Cells: erythrocytes,  leukocytes, thrombocytes = platelets