The perichondrium (from
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
el, περί, peri, around, label=none and el, χόνδρος, chondros, cartilage, label=none) is a layer of
dense irregular connective tissue
Dense irregular connective tissue has fibers that are not arranged in parallel bundles as in dense regular connective tissue.
Dense irregular connective tissue consists of mostly collagen fibers. It has less ground substance than loose connec ...
that surrounds the
cartilage of developing bone. It consists of two separate layers: an outer fibrous layer and inner
chondrogenic layer. The fibrous layer contains
fibroblasts
A fibroblast is a type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework ( stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells ...
, which produce
collagenous fibres. The chondrogenic layer remains undifferentiated and can form
chondroblasts
Chondroblasts, or perichondrial cells, is the name given to mesenchymal progenitor cells in situ which, from endochondral ossification, will form chondrocytes in the growing cartilage matrix. Another name for them is subchondral cortico-spongiou ...
. Perichondrium can be found around the perimeter of
elastic cartilage
Elastic cartilage, fibroelastic cartilage or yellow fibrocartilage is a type of cartilage present in the pinnae (auricles) of the ear giving it shape, provides shape for the lateral region of the external auditory meatus, medial part of the aud ...
and
hyaline cartilage.
Perichondrium is a type of irregular collagenous ordinary connective tissue, and also functions in the growth and repair of cartilage. Perichondrium contains
type I collagen
Type I collagen is the most abundant collagen of the human body. It forms large, eosinophilic fibers known as collagen fibers.
It is present in scar tissue, the end product when tissue heals by repair, as well as tendons, ligaments, the endomy ...
and
type XII collagen.
References
External links
*
Iowa Histology Index 4/iv-05' - "Slide 12, Developing Bone (H&E). Examine cartilage (right) and its perichondrium (arrows)."
*
Skeletal system
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