Cartilage, Bone and Joints

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Basic Tissues strand of Histology and embryology. It brings together material on three linked topics: cartilage, bone and the joints that connect them. A small set of resources also looks at how the musculoskeletal system develops in the embryo.

• Cartilage: the mind maps on elastic cartilage and fibrocartilage describe fibers, matrix and where each type is found, such as the external ear, the epiglottis and areas under heavy pressure.
• Bone: flashcard decks such as Histology and Bone cover bone cells, compact and spongy bone, and bone marrow.
• Joints and development: a quiz covers the structures involved in joints, and another asks about somites in musculoskeletal development.

Where to start

Begin with the Cartilage mind map. It lays out the three cartilage types and how a mesenchymal cell becomes a chondroblast and then a chondrocyte in a lacuna. Next, open the Cartilage and Bone mind map, which sets composition, types and growth side by side.

Then move to the single-type maps, Elastic Cartilage and Fibrocartilage, to see how the types differ in fibers and matrix.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then take a quiz without looking at it. The quiz on structures involved in joints asks you to pick the false statement about cartilage, which shows quickly whether the types are clear. The quiz Lecture 14 photomicrographs asks you to label zones and name features such as the osteoid front and the hypertrophic zone, so it suits slide-based practice.

Go back to the map for anything you missed. Then use a flashcard deck, such as L5 histo- bone, to rehearse the definitions and descriptions in your own words.

Making it your own

The resources were made by students and teachers in the community, so styles and depth vary. Teachers can use them as ready-made starting points for a class. Pick one mind map today, take a quiz, and see which topic needs another pass.