CONNECTIVE TISSUE. 195 



(c) Hyaline Cartilage. The name implies that the dense basis- 

 substance of this tissue is transparent and devoid of any trace of 

 structure. This is true only of cartilage specimens mounted in 

 balsam or varnish, such as were formerly used for observation. 

 Both in fresh specimens and in those preserved in chromic acid, 

 the basis-substance, even with moderate powers of the micro- 

 scope, is not hyaline, but of finely granular appearance. 



The basis-substance contains cavities, in which lie the plas- 

 tids, termed cartilage corpuscles. Around the cavities the basis- 

 substance is often con- M * ,* * &<& e ' 

 centrically striated. ",j !jv$# (lfc'\ , 



This feature led to the JX W>V ^V-^M VJ>,V# 

 supposition that carti- e \^^^^/^^'' t \^ 



The capsules are noth- 

 ing but the optical ex- 

 pression of different de- 

 grees of densification, 

 found in all other va- 

 rieties of connective tis- 

 sue. Condensed basis- 

 substance in the form 

 of a capsule may occur 

 around single cartilage 

 corpuscles or around 

 corpuscles grouped to- 

 gether, and frequently 

 such capsules are alto- 

 gether absent. Their 

 production is closely FIG. 74. HYALINE CARTILAGE FROM THE CON- 

 connected with the DYLE OF FEMUR OF A NEW-BORN PUP. CHRO- 

 formation of territo- MIC ACID SPECIMEN - 



rieS duHno 1 devplrm C ' the tissue of the h y aline cartilage, with scattered 



1U P~ groups of cartilage corpuscles ; M, Medullary spaces, con- 



ment, and their power taining blood- vessels and medullary tissue.. Magnified 



of resistance can be 10 diaraeter8 - 



proved by long-continued boiling, especially in acidulated water. 

 Hyaline cartilage, when fully developed, is scantily supplied 

 with blood-vessels ; large masses of the tissue are met with which 

 are entirely destitute of vessels. Undeveloped, embryonal car- 

 tilage, however, is traversed by a relatively large number of 

 medullary canals, in which a complete system of blood-vessels 



