Elastic Cartilage – Tutorial
Please read Unit 2 – Introduction to Connective Tissues prior to completing the activities in this chapter.
Introduction to Elastic Cartilage
Elastic cartilage is a supportive connective tissue that is more flexible than other types of cartilage due to the abundance of elastic fibers in its extracellular matrix. The main types of cells found in elastic cartilage are chondroblasts and chondrocytes. Chondroblasts are located around the perimeter of elastic cartilage and actively secrete carbohydrates and proteins that thicken the gel-like ground substance and proteins that assemble into a network of interwoven elastic fibers. Chondrocytes (mature cartilage cells) are centrally located within bands of elastic cartilage. Chondrocytes exist in a tiny space known as a lacuna where they continue to secrete substances that support and maintain healthy cartilage matrix.
The dense yet flexible matrix of elastic cartilage provides flexible support to structures that can be bent or distorted and then return to their original shape without damage. Elastic cartilage forms the flexible structural framework of the external ear (auricle), the auditory (Eustachian) tube, the epiglottis, and the cuneiform cartilages inside the larynx that support the vocal cords.
