Answer to Question #286413 in Cell Biology for Abhishek

Question

There are three histologic specimens of cartilaginous tissue. Two of them are

stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and one histologic specimen is stained with

orcein. What fibres and in what type of cartilaginous tissue can be determined

by such dyes? What functional properties of the cartilaginous tissue do they

cause?

Answer 1

Elastic cartilage has to be specially stained to show the elastic fibers. This is because when stained with a haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, the elastic fibers appear to look the same as hyaline cartilage. Hyaline cartilage is a translucent white type of cartilage present in areas of the body such as the joints.

Chondrification (also known as chondrogenesis) is the process by which cartilage is formed from condensed mesenchyme tissue, which differentiates into chondroblasts and begins secreting the molecules (aggrecan and collagen type II) that form the extracellular matrix.