Which type of fibers are present in this tissue?

Which type of fibers are present in this tissue?

• A. Collagen Type II fibers
• B. Reticular fibers
• C. Collagen Type III fibers
• D. Elastic fibers

Answer: (A)

Cartilage is built mainly with type II collagen, which forms the faint, thin fibrils that weave through the proteoglycan-rich matrix to give the tissue its characteristic resilience and ability to resist compression. The image likely shows chondrocytes in lacunae embedded in a uniform, glassy extracellular matrix—the hallmark of cartilage where type II collagen is the primary fibrous component. Reticular fibers (type III) form delicate networks in organs such as lymph nodes and around vessels, not the sturdy scaffold of cartilage. Elastic fibers provide stretch in tissues like elastic cartilage, skin, and arteries, but the dominant framework in this tissue is type II collagen.

Cartilage is built mainly with type II collagen, which forms the faint, thin fibrils that weave through the proteoglycan-rich matrix to give the tissue its characteristic resilience and ability to resist compression. The image likely shows chondrocytes in lacunae embedded in a uniform, glassy extracellular matrix—the hallmark of cartilage where type II collagen is the primary fibrous component. Reticular fibers (type III) form delicate networks in organs such as lymph nodes and around vessels, not the sturdy scaffold of cartilage. Elastic fibers provide stretch in tissues like elastic cartilage, skin, and arteries, but the dominant framework in this tissue is type II collagen.