Tough form of cartilage found in intervertebral disks of the spine and junctions where tendons attach to bones?

Tough form of cartilage found in intervertebral disks of the spine and junctions where tendons attach to bones?

• A. Hyaline cartilage
• B. Elastic cartilage
• C. Fibrous cartilage
• D. Articular cartilage

Answer: (C)

Fibrocartilage is the tough form of cartilage designed to resist both compression and large tensile stresses. It contains a dense network of collagen fibers, mainly type I, arranged in parallel bundles within the cartilage matrix. This structure gives it high tensile strength while still providing a resilient, shock-absorbing matrix. In the spine, the annulus fibrosus of intervertebral discs is made of fibrocartilage, with concentric lamellae of collagen that help contain the nucleus pulposus and resist twisting and bending forces. At where tendons attach to bone, fibrocartilage also forms a transition zone at the enthesis, smoothing the load transfer from tendon into bone and reducing stress concentrations that could damage the tissue. Other cartilage types differ in composition and function: hyaline cartilage (often found on joint surfaces) provides a smooth, slippery load-bearing surface but is not as mechanically tough as fibrocartilage; elastic cartilage contains elastic fibers for flexibility and is not suited for high-tensile, high-compression loads; articular cartilage is another name for hyaline cartilage at joint surfaces.

Fibrocartilage is the tough form of cartilage designed to resist both compression and large tensile stresses. It contains a dense network of collagen fibers, mainly type I, arranged in parallel bundles within the cartilage matrix. This structure gives it high tensile strength while still providing a resilient, shock-absorbing matrix.

In the spine, the annulus fibrosus of intervertebral discs is made of fibrocartilage, with concentric lamellae of collagen that help contain the nucleus pulposus and resist twisting and bending forces. At where tendons attach to bone, fibrocartilage also forms a transition zone at the enthesis, smoothing the load transfer from tendon into bone and reducing stress concentrations that could damage the tissue.

Other cartilage types differ in composition and function: hyaline cartilage (often found on joint surfaces) provides a smooth, slippery load-bearing surface but is not as mechanically tough as fibrocartilage; elastic cartilage contains elastic fibers for flexibility and is not suited for high-tensile, high-compression loads; articular cartilage is another name for hyaline cartilage at joint surfaces.