Which statement about cartilage is accurate?

Which statement about cartilage is accurate?

• A. It is vascular
• B. It is avascular
• C. It is primarily adipose tissue
• D. It has dense periosteum

Answer: (B)

Cartilage is avascular, meaning it has no blood vessels inside. Because of this, nutrients and waste diffuse to chondrocytes from surrounding tissues, often via the perichondrium in many cartilage types or from joint fluid in articular cartilage. This diffusion-based nourishment is why cartilage heals slowly after injury. It is not adipose tissue, which is a fat-storing connective tissue, and the dense periosteum is a feature of bone, not cartilage.

Cartilage is avascular, meaning it has no blood vessels inside. Because of this, nutrients and waste diffuse to chondrocytes from surrounding tissues, often via the perichondrium in many cartilage types or from joint fluid in articular cartilage. This diffusion-based nourishment is why cartilage heals slowly after injury. It is not adipose tissue, which is a fat-storing connective tissue, and the dense periosteum is a feature of bone, not cartilage.