HYALINE CARTILAGE. 



247 



becomes converted into fibre-cartilage, nor is it prone to ossify like rib-cartilage. 

 But a deposit of calcareous granules may occur in the deeper parts of the 

 articular cartilage near the bone, the deposit first showing itself around the 



Fig. 287. A THIN LAYER PEELED OFF FROM THE SURFACE OF THE CARTILAGE OF THE HEAD OF THE 



HUMERUS, SHOWING FLATTENED GROUPS OF CELLS (Sharpey). 



The shrunken cell-bodies are distinctly seen, but the limits of the capsular cavities where they adjoin 

 one another are but faintly indicated. Magnified 400 diameters. 



Fig. 288. BORDER OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE SHOWING TRANSITION OF CARTILAGE CELLS INTO CONNECTIVE- 

 TISSUE CORPUSCLES. FROM HEAD OF METATARSAL BONE (HUMAN). ABOUT 340 DIAMETERS. (E. A. S.) 



a, ordinary cartilage cells ; b, b, with branching processes. 



groups of cartilage cells (fig. 286, d}. This change may also happen at the symphyses. 

 When the earthy matter is extracted by means of an acid, the tissue which remains 

 has all the characters of cartilage. 



In the costal cartilages, the cells, which are of considerable size, are also 

 collected in groups, larger for the most part than those found in articular cartilage 

 (fig. 289). Near the exterior of the cartilage they are flattened, and lie parallel with 



Fig. 289. FROM A SECTION OF COSTAL CARTILAGE FROM THE CALF. CHROMIC ACID PREPARATION (E. A. S.). 



The matrix is indistinctly fibrous. Two or three empty cell-spaces are seen in the section, the cells 

 having dropped out. The cell-protoplasm is reticular. 



the surface. As to those situated more inwardly, we can sometimes observe, in a 

 transverse slice, that they form oblong groups disposed in lines radiating to the 



